Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover, U.S. District Judge

359 U.S. 500 · Decided May 25, 1959 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover, U.S. District Judge was decided on May 25, 1959 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Hugo L. Black wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Jury trial right” in the Criminal Procedure area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Felix Frankfurter.

Full case caption

Beacon Theatres, Inc., v. Westover, U.S. District Judge, et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1958-092, docket 1958-092-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Jury trial right”

• Magenau v. Aetna Freight Lines, Inc.
  360 U.S. 273Decided June 15, 19596–3Tom C. Clark
• Conner v. Simler
  367 U.S. 486Decided June 12, 19616–3Per curiam
• Dairy Queen, Inc. v. Wood, U.S. District Judge
  369 U.S. 469Decided April 30, 19627–0Hugo L. Black
• Simler v. Conner
  372 U.S. 221Decided February 18, 19639–0Per curiam
• Meeker et Ux. v. Ambassador Oil Corp.
  375 U.S. 160Decided December 2, 19639–0Per curiam
• Baxstrom v. HeroldLaw held unconstitutional
  383 U.S. 107Decided February 23, 19669–0Earl Warren

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure

• Societe Internationale Pour Participations Industrielles et Commerciales, S. A. v. Rogers
  357 U.S. 197Decided June 16, 19588–0John M. Harlan II
• United States v. Procter & Gamble Co.
  356 U.S. 677Decided June 2, 19586–3William O. Douglas
• Jung v. K. & D. Mining Co., Inc.
  356 U.S. 335Decided April 28, 19589–0Per curiam
• United States v. F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Co.
  356 U.S. 227Decided April 7, 19587–2Charles E. Whittaker
• Polites v. United States
  364 U.S. 426Decided November 21, 19605–4Potter Stewart
• United States v. Lucchese
  365 U.S. 290Decided February 20, 19618–0William J. Brennan Jr.

Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)

• Hawkins v. United States
  358 U.S. 74Decided November 24, 19589–0Hugo L. Black
• Ladner v. United StatesAltered precedent
  358 U.S. 169Decided December 15, 19588–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• United States ex Rel. Jennings v. Ragen
  358 U.S. 276Decided January 12, 19598–0Per curiam
• Draper v. United States
  358 U.S. 307Decided January 26, 19596–1Charles E. Whittaker
• Greene v. United States
  358 U.S. 326Decided January 26, 19599–0Per curiam
• Heflin v. United States
  358 U.S. 415Decided February 24, 19599–0William O. Douglas

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error