Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/380/194/
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 14:50:50+00:00

Document:
Petitioner sued the administratrix of the estate of a deceased daughter of an adjudged incompetent for the cost of support furnished the incompetent in a state mental institution, and recovered a judgment which was reversed by the Supreme Court of California. That court found that the state statute creating support liability "violates the basic constitutional guaranty of equal protection of the law. . . ."
Held: since the California court did not specify whether its holding was based on the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution or the equivalent provision of the state constitution, or both, this Court cannot be certain that the judgment below was not based on an adequate and independent nonfederal ground. In light of the doubt as to this Court's jurisdiction, the judgment is vacated and the case remanded. Pp. 380 U. S. 195-201.
60 Cal. 2d 716, 381 P.2d 720, judgment vacated and case remanded.
"The husband, wife, father, mother, or children of a mentally ill person or inebriate, and the administrators of their estates, and the estate of such mentally ill person or inebriate, shall be liable for his care, support, and maintenance in a state institution of which he is an inmate. The liability of such persons and estates shall be a joint and several liability. . . ."
Court of Appeal affirmed, 29 Cal.Rptr. 312, but the Supreme Court of California reversed, finding that § 6650 "violates the basic constitutional guaranty of equal protection of the law. . . ." 60 Cal.2d 716, 717, 36 Cal.Rptr. 488, 388 P.2d 720. We granted certiorari to consider the important questions involved, 379 U.S. 811. After plenary briefing and argument, however, we are unable to say with requisite assurance that this Court has jurisdiction in the premises.
any degree of certainty that the judgment of the California Supreme Court was not based on an adequate and independent nonfederal ground. This Court is always wary of assuming jurisdiction of a case from a state court unless it is plain that a federal question is necessarily presented, and the party seeking review here must show that we have jurisdiction of the case. [Footnote 2] Were we to assume that the federal question was the basis for the decision below, it is clear that the California Supreme Court, either on remand or in another case presenting the same issues, could inform us that its opinion was, in fact, based, at least in part, on the California Constitution, thus leaving the result untouched by whatever conclusions this Court might have reached on the merits of the federal question. For reasons that follow, we conclude that further clarifying proceedings in the California Supreme Court are called for under the principles stated in Minnesota v. National Tea Co., 309 U. S. 551.
is a deprivation of property without equal protection of law and without just compensation in violation of the state and federal Constitutions."
"Article I, section 11 of the California Constitution requires that all laws of a general nature have a uniform operation. This has been held generally to require a reasonable classification of persons upon whom the law is to operate. The classification must be one that is founded upon some natural or intrinsic or constitutional distinction. [Citations.] Likewise, those within the class, that is, those persons similarly situated with respect to that law, must be subjected to equal burdens. [Citation.] The clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the federal Constitution which prohibits a state from denying to 'any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws' has been similarly construed. [Footnote 5]"
"This holding is dispositive of the issue before us." 60 Cal.2d at 720, 36 Cal.Rptr. at 490, 388 P.2d at 722.
The court went on, however, to discuss other cases. After noting that, in Department of Mental Hygiene v. Shane, 142 Cal.App.2d Supp. 881, 299 P.2d 747 (relied on in McGilvery), there was no "mention of either the United States or the California Constitutions," the court distinguished both Shane and McGilvery as cases in which the constitutional claims were not presented. 60 Cal.2d at 721, 36 Cal.Rptr. at 491, 388 P.2d at 723. It then discussed Hoeper v. Tax Comm'n, 284 U. S. 206, which dealt with reasonable classification, and compared a similar treatment in Estate of Tetsubumi Yano, 188 Cal. 645, 656-657 , 206 P. 995. In Yano, the California Supreme Court found an alien land law in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Privileges and Immunities Clause, and of the California Constitution. The court's discussion of the Equal Protection Clause, however, was confined to pp. 654-656 of the opinion, 206 P. pp. 999-1000, and, in headnote  on page 656 (cited by the court in the present case) the court dealt principally with the state constitutional ground.
property manifestly denies him equal protection of the law."
"There is no constitutional requirement of uniform treatment, but only that there be a reasonable basis for each classification. [Footnote 7]"
The use of such language suggests that the court may have been adverting to the California constitutional provision that "[a]ll laws of a general nature shall have a uniform operation." Calif.Const. Art. I, § 11.
open for obtaining clarification from the California Supreme Court (Minnesota v. National Tea Co., supra), in view of the importance of and widespread interest in the case. [Footnote 8] Unfortunately, because of California law, we cannot hold the case on our calendar until the parties submit a clarifying certificate from the California Supreme Court, see Dixon v. Duffy, 344 U. S. 143, 344 U. S. 145, but we can obviate undue delay by vacating the judgment of the California Supreme Court, directing that our mandate issue forthwith, and giving leave to the parties to file a new petition for certiorari incorporating by reference the record and briefs now on file in this Court, supplemented by such additional papers as may be necessary or appropriate if, on further proceedings, the California Supreme Court holds that its judgment does not rest on an adequate independent nonfederal ground.
The judgment of the Supreme Court of California is vacated, and the cause remanded to that court for such further proceedings as may be appropriate under state law. The judgment and mandate of this Court shall issue forthwith.
MR. JUSTICE DOUGLAS, believing it clear that the Supreme Court of California did not rest solely on the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, would dismiss the writ.
"Sec. 11. All laws of a general nature shall have a uniform operation."
"Sec. 21. No special privileges or immunities shall ever be granted which may not be altered, revoked, or repealed by the Legislature; nor shall any citizen, or class of citizens, be granted privileges or immunities which, upon the same terms, shall not be granted to all citizens."
These provisions have been interpreted by the California courts as being the equivalent of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. See Department of Mental Hygiene v. McGilvery, 50 Cal.2d 742, 754, 329 P.2d 689, 695, quoted infra, p. 380 U. S. 198; Lelande v. Lowery, 26 Cal.2d 224, 157 P.2d 639; San Bernardino County v. Way, 18 Cal.2d 647, 117 P.2d 354; People v. Sullivan, 60 Cal.App.2d 539, 141 P.2d 230; People v. England, 140 Cal.App. 310, 35 P.2d 565; 11 Cal.Jur.2d § 272, and cases cited therein. See also Los Angeles County v. Southern Cal. Tel. Co., 32 Cal.2d 378, 196 P.2d 773, appeal dismissed, 336 U.S. 929.
See Note, Supreme Court Treatment of State Court Cases Exhibiting Ambiguous Grounds of Decision, 62 Col.L.Rev. 822 (1962).
"Is not the taking of money from a daughter, or her estate, for the support of a mother who has an estate of her own violative of the Constitution of the State of California?"
50 Cal.2d 742, 754, 329 P.2d 689, 695.
State Tax Comm. of Utah v. Van Cott, 306 U. S. 511; Fox Film Corp. v. Muller, 296 U. S. 207.
58 Cal.2d at 623, 375 P.2d at 445.
Forty-two States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia have similar statutes on their books, and eight States have filed amicus briefs in this Court, either supporting the petition for certiorari or the petitioner's position on the merits.

References: § 6650
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