Parker v. County of Los Angeles, 338 U.S. 327 (1949)

CERTIORARI TO THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA, SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

Syllabus

A state court dismissed actions by civil service employees for relief against enforcement of a "loyalty" program by a county, without considering whether disclosure of information sought by a prescribed affidavit would have penal consequences, and its decision left in doubt whether it had passed on the validity under the Fourteenth Amendment of sanctions (if there were any) for failure to execute the affidavit. By a subsequent order, not involved in the judgments now before this Court, the county explicitly adopted sanctions for failure to execute affidavits, and the validity of this latter order was attacked for the first time in litigation still pending in the state courts. Since this latter litigation may be decided in favor of the employees on grounds of state law, held: the constitutional questions raised in these cases are not ripe for adjudication, and the writs of certiorari heretofore granted are dismissed. Pp. 328-333.

88 Cal.App.2d 481, 199 P.2d 429, certiorari dismissed.

A state trial court dismissed suits by certain county employees for relief against a so-called "loyalty test" prescribed by the county’s Board of Supervisors. The State District Court of Appeal affirmed. 88 Cal.App.2d 481, 199 P.2d 429. The State Supreme Court denied discretionary review. This Court granted certiorari. 337 U.S. 929. Writs of certiorari dismissed, p. 333.