Levy v. Hayward
Levy v. Hayward
Opinion of the Court
The District Court dismissed the complaint in this case on the ground that it fails to state a cause of action on which relief could be granted. The complaint, as amended, claims damages from the two defendants named for “deceit and
Construing the allegations most favorably to the plaintiff-appellant and giving him the benefit of every permissible inference, we think that the complaint was properly dismissed for failure to state a cause of action on which damages could be awarded. See De Bobula v. Goss, 1951, 90 U.S.App.D.C. 28, 193 F.2d 35; Nalle v. Oyster, 1913, 230 U.S. 165, 182-183, 33 S.Ct. 1043, 57 L.Ed. 1439; Cunningham v. Brown, 1846, 18 Vt. 123, 46 Am.Dec. 140; Shultz v. Shultz, 1894, 136 Ind. 323, 36 N.E. 126; Dean v. Kirkland, 1939, 301 Ill.App. 495, 23 N.E.2d 180; Kantor v. Kessler, 1945, 132 N.J.L. 336, 40 A.2d 607; cf. Robinson v. Missouri Pacific Transp. Co., D.C.W.D.Ark.1949, 85 F.Supp. 235, 238. Appellant relies on Morgan v. Graham, 10 Cir., 1956, 228 F.2d 625, and Verplanck v. Van Buren, 1879, 76 N.Y. 247, but these cases involved fraudulent conduct beyond the giving of false testimony.
Affirmed.
No. 13,648.
The complaint in this case was filed on September 14, 1955. It claims damages from the defendants, as individuals and not as public officials, for depriving the plaintiff of his rights under the First Amendment with the intent of “trespassing and quashing by indirection” his claim against the United States for back salary following discharge from the War Production Board. It is alleged that at a hearing in the Court of Claims on this claim on February 5, 1951, plaintiff took the customary oath as a witness without objection and that, for the purpose of “quashing” his claim, as set out above, inquiry was made of him on February 7, 1951, on cross-examination by defendant Franklin as attorney for the United States and permitted by defendant Evans as Hearing Commissioner, as to plaintiff’s belief or disbelief in God, his affiliation with a church or creed, if any, and his acceptance or rejection of the principles of Christianity, all in violation of his rights under the First Amendment; that this inquiry resulted in his credibility being questioned by the defendants and by the court, with the result that he lost his suit for back salary.
Affirmed.
The opinion of the Court of Claims, dismissing the complaint before it, contains no discussion of any of these matters. 1953, 125 Ct.Cl. 145, certiorari denied 1954, 346 U.S. 931, 74 S.Ct. 321, 98 L.Ed. 422. The present complaint contains no allegation that such matters were at any time brought by plaintiff to the attention of the Court of Claims.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- S. Leon LEVY v. Carlton HAYWARD, Director, Office of Personnel Management, Department of Commerce, and Louis Levine, Appellees S. Leon LEVY v. W. Ney EVANS and John R. Franklin
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published