United States v. Reynolds

This article is about the 1953 U.S. Supreme Court case about the State Secrets Privilege. For the 1878 case about polygamy and religious duty as a defense to criminal prosecution, see Reynolds v. United States.

United States v. Reynolds
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued October 21, 1952
Decided March 9, 1953
Full case nameUnited States v. Reynolds, Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Citations345 U.S. 1 (more)
73 S. Ct. 528; 97 L. Ed. 727
Case history
PriorJudgments entered in favor of the plaintiffs upheld, Reynolds v. United States, 192 F.2d 987 (3d Cir. 1951); cert. granted, 343 U.S. 918 (1952).
Holding
In this case, there was a valid claim of privilege under Rule 34; and a judgment based under Rule 37 on refusal to produce the documents subjected the United States to liability to which Congress did not consent by the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Fred M. Vinson
Associate Justices
Hugo Black · Stanley F. Reed
Felix Frankfurter · William O. Douglas
Robert H. Jackson · Harold H. Burton
Tom C. Clark · Sherman Minton
Case opinions
MajorityVinson, joined by Reed, Douglas, Burton, Clark, Minton
DissentBlack
DissentFrankfurter
DissentJackson
Laws applied
Federal Tort Claims Act
Wikisource has original text related to this article:

United States v. Reynolds, 345 U.S. 1 (1953), is a landmark legal case decided in 1953, which saw the formal recognition of the state secrets privilege,[1] a judicially recognized extension of presidential power. The US Supreme Court confirmed that "the privilege against revealing military secrets ... is well established in the law of evidence".[1]

  1. ^ a b United States v. Reynolds, 345 U.S. 1, 6-7 (1953)