# De Veau v. Braisted, 363 U.S. 144 (1960)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/courtlistener-de-veau-v-braisted-363-us-144/

The Supreme Court upheld § 8 of the New York Waterfront Commission Act of 1953, which barred a waterfront union from collecting dues while an officer convicted of a felony remained in office.

Supreme Court of the United States, argued 1 March 1960 and decided 6 June 1960. Justice Frankfurter wrote the plurality opinion. Justice Harlan took no part.

The appellant had been, beginning in 1950, secretary-treasurer of Local 1346 of the International Longshoremen's Association, a local with offices in Richmond County, New York. Section 8 of the New York Waterfront Commission Act barred the collection of dues on behalf of a waterfront union if any of its officers or agents had been convicted of a felony and had not been pardoned or otherwise relieved. In 1956 the District Attorney of Richmond County told the president of the ILA that because of the appellant's 1920 conviction, § 8 prohibited anyone from collecting dues for Local 1346 while he remained an officer. The New York courts upheld the section.

Thomas W. Gleason argued for the appellant. The Court affirmed, saying New York "sought not to punish ex-felons, but to devise what was felt to be a much-needed scheme of regulation of the waterfront." The opinion describes the Act's scheme for supervising waterfront employment in the Port of New York, which rests on the [Waterfront Commission Compact](/items/statutes-at-large-67-stat-541-waterfront-commission-compact/).

## Sources

- CourtListener (Free Law Project), text of the opinion: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/106061/de-veau-v-braisted/