Osman v. Douds
339 U.S. 846 · Decided June 5, 1950 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Osman v. Douds was decided on June 5, 1950 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Internal security legislation” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 339 U.S. 846 · 70 S. Ct. 901 · 94 L. Ed. 2d 1328 · 1950 U.S. LEXIS 2518
- Docket number
- 12
- Decided
- June 5, 1950
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Internal security legislation
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- Labor-Management Relations Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Concurrence | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Concurrence |
Did not participate: Tom C. Clark.
Full case caption
Osman et al. v. Douds, Regional Director of the National Labor Relations Board
SCDB identifiers: case 1949-097, docket 1949-097-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Internal security legislation”
- American Communications Assn., C. I. O. v. Douds
- Dennis v. United States
- Carlson v. Landon
- Harisiades v. Shaughnessy
- Pennsylvania v. Nelson
- Communist Party of the United States v. Subversive Activities Control Board
Cases on the same legal provision: Labor-Management Relations Act
- International Union of United Automobile, Etc. Workers of America, C. I. O. v. O'Brien
- National Labor Relations Board v. Gullett Gin Co.
- Amalgamated Association of Street v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Board
- National Labor Relations Board v. Pittsburgh Steamship Co.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Highland Park Manufacturing Co.
- National Labor Relations Board v. International Rice Milling Co., Inc.
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Cole v. Arkansas
- United States ex Rel. Knauff v. Shaughnessy
- United States v. Alpers
- American Communications Assn., C. I. O. v. Douds
- Hughes v. Superior Court of California for Contra Costa County
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Etc. Union v. Hanke
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