Munn v. Illinois

The Background of Munn v. Illinois (1877)

The case of Munn v. Illinois was one of the most prominent of the ‘Granger’ cases, which took place during the second half of the 19th century; within these cases, economic and commercial legislation associated with private commercial operations with regard to their susceptibility to the legal jurisdiction of the State government took place - Munn v. Illinois was an appellate hearing following a conviction of the Munn and Scott Firm. Munn and Scott were convicted of violating the laws set forth by the State of Illinois regulating the maximum rates that a private commercial operation would be able to charge for its services; subsequent to the initial guilty verdict, Scott and Munn appealed the decision before the Supreme Court

The Case Profile of Munn v. Illinois

The following is a case profile of the legal trial eponymously titled ‘Munn v. Illinois’:

Date of the Trial: January 14th - 18th, 1877

Legal Classification: Administrative Law; this legal field associated with events and circumstances in which the Federal Government of the United States engages its citizens, including the administration of government programs, the creation of agencies, and the establishment of a legal, regulatory federal standard

Accused Criminal Activity: The following criminal activity and charges were cited by The Scott and Munn Firm against the State of Illinois within the appeal brought forth subsequent to the initial ruling:

The Munn and Scott Firm maintained that the legislature proposed by ‘The Grange’, which was an association of farmers, was in direct violation of the 14th Amendment; this was due to the fact that private enterprise was considered to be separate from State government

United States Reports Case Number: 94 U.S. 113

Date of the Delivery of the Verdict: March 1st, 1877

Legal Venue of Munn v. Illinois: The Supreme Court of the United States

Judicial Officer Responsible for Ruling: Chief Justice Morrison Waite

Involved Parties: The following are the parties named with regard to their involvement in the Munn v. Illinois case:

The Munn and Scott Firm; Plaintiff – Munn v. Illinois

The State of Illinois; Defendant - Munn v. Illinois

Verdict Delivered: The Supreme Court found the Munn and Scott firm to be guilty of their original conviction. The Supreme Court ruled that private commercial operations presumed to exist in order to benefit the public commercial marketplace were liable to be subject to legislature serving the public interest

Associated Legislation with regard to Munn v. Illinois: The following statutory regulations were employed with regard to the Munn v. Illinois trial:

The 14th Amendment illustrates legislation that disallows the government from infringing on the right(s) to pursue ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness’ with regard to any and all citizens of the United States of America – this statute is applicable to all measures of gender, race, religion, and age

Due process is defined as the government’s obligation to respect, maintain, and uphold the legal rights of its citizen in the event of an arrest; the government must retain an individual’s human rights and liberties – this includes fair, respectful, and ethical treatment devoid of undue violence and harm

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