Filed Date: Sept. 2, 1965
Closed Date: June 17, 1968
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This case was one of the most important civil rights precedents of the 1960s. It began when the Plaintiffs, prospective African-American homebuyers, applied to purchase a property from Defendant-home developer, who rejected them solely on the basis of their race. Plaintiffs sued in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri under 42 U.S.C. 1981, 1982, 1983, and 2000e, alleging that a race-based denial of a home purchase violated federal civil rights laws, especially the requirement in 42 U.S.C. 1982 that: "All citizens of the United States shall have the same right, in every State and Territory, as is enjoyed by white citizens thereof to inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold, and convey real and personal property."
U.S. District Court Judge Regan granted Defendants' motion to dismiss, holding that in the absence of state action the Plaintiffs did not have a valid cause of action under federal civil rights statutes. Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co., 255 F. Supp. 115 (E.D. Mo 1966). The Eighth Circuit affirmed the dismissal on June 26, 1967. Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co., 379 F.2d 33 (8th Cir. 1967) (opinion of Blackmun, J.).
The Supreme Court reversed the lower courts on June 17, 1968. Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co., 392 U.S. 409 (1968). The Court held that Congress, acting pursuant to its power under the Thirteenth Amendment to eliminate badges of slavery, had the constitutional power to prohibit certain types of private race-based discrimination, and that 42 U.S.C. 1982 validly exercised this power by forbidding private discrimination relating to the sale of housing.
Summary Authors
Andrew Nash (6/2/2008)
Blackmun, Harry Andrew (District of Columbia)
Anderson, Norman H. (Missouri)
Burns, C. B. Jr. (Missouri)
Cadwalader, Thomas F. (Maryland)
Carter, Robert Lee (New York)
Anderson, Norman H. (Missouri)
Cadwalader, Thomas F. (Maryland)
Claiborne, Louis F. (District of Columbia)
Clark, Ramsey (District of Columbia)
Defeo, Louis C. Jr. (Missouri)
Griswold, Erwin N. (District of Columbia)
Landsberg, Brian K. (District of Columbia)
Pollak, Stephen J. (District of Columbia)
Posner, Richard A. (District of Columbia)
Last updated March 26, 2024, 3:04 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Missouri
Case Type(s):
Fair Housing/Lending/Insurance
Key Dates
Filing Date: Sept. 2, 1965
Closing Date: June 17, 1968
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Plaintiffs allege that the respondents had refused to sell them a home in the Paddock Woods community of St. Louis County for the sole reason that the petitioner Joseph Lee Jones is black.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: Unknown
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Alfred H. Mayer Company (Paddock Woods (subdivision), St. Louis), Private Entity/Person
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
U.S. Supreme Court merits opinion
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Order Duration: 1968 - None
Issues
General/Misc.:
Discrimination Area:
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Race(s):