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Francisco v. Gathright, 419 U.S. 59 (1974)
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General SummaryThis case is from a collection containing the full text of over 16,000 Supreme Court cases from 1793 to the present. The body of Supreme Court decisions are, effectively, the final interpretation of the Constitution. Only an amendment to the Constitution can permanently overturn an interpretation and this has happened only four times in American history.
Francisco v. Gathright, 419 U.S. 59 (1974)
Francisco v. Gathright No. 73-5768 Argued October 15, 1974 Decided November 19, 1974 419 U.S. 59
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
Syllabus
Petitioner brought this federal habeas corpus action, claiming the unconstitutionality of a state statute under which he had been convicted of a drug violation. The Court of Appeals upheld the District Court’s ruling that petitioner’s challenge should be resubmitted to the state courts in the light of a State Supreme Court decision (issued after that court had declined to review petitioner’s conviction on direct appeal but before petitioner had filed his habeas petition) holding the state statute constitutionally invalid.
Held: Since the state courts had a full opportunity to determine the federal constitutional issue before petitioner resorted to the federal forum, no substantial state interest would be served by requiring petitioner to resubmit his constitutional claim to the state courts. Roberts v. LaVallee, 389 U.S. 40.
Reversed and remanded.
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Chicago:
U.S. Supreme Court, "Syllabus," Francisco v. Gathright, 419 U.S. 59 (1974) in 419 U.S. 59 Original Sources, accessed August 30, 2025, http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=6FZ4YJGYMN3H419.
MLA:
U.S. Supreme Court. "Syllabus." Francisco v. Gathright, 419 U.S. 59 (1974), in 419 U.S. 59, Original Sources. 30 Aug. 2025. http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=6FZ4YJGYMN3H419.
Harvard:
U.S. Supreme Court, 'Syllabus' in Francisco v. Gathright, 419 U.S. 59 (1974). cited in 1974, 419 U.S. 59. Original Sources, retrieved 30 August 2025, from http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=6FZ4YJGYMN3H419.
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