Layton v. Missouri

Citations

• 187 U.S. 356
• 23 S. Ct. 137
• 47 L. Ed. 214
• 1902 U.S. LEXIS 775

Syllabus

<p>Where- the record does not show that it was contended in the state court that a state law under which the plaintiff in error was convicted was in contravention of the Constitution of the United States, the objection that the law is unconstitutional must be regarded as relating only to the constitution of the State.</p> <p>Where the highest court of a State sustains the validity of a statute of the State when tested by the provisions of the constitution of that State, it cannot be regarded as having decided a Federal question because the provisions of the state constitution are similar to those of the Fourteenth Amendment, if it appears from the record, that it was not called upon to do so and its decision rested upon another ground.</p> <p>When the highest court of a State holds that it has no jurisdiction of an appeal on the ground that a constitutional question is involved unless the question was raised in, and submitted to, the trial court, this court cannot interfere with the action of the state court in adhering to that conclusion.</p> <p>Nor can this court review the final judgment of the state courts on the ground that the validity of state enactments under the Constitution of the United States has been adjudged when those courts have done nothing more than to decline to pass on the Federal question because not raised in.the-trial court as required by the state practice.</p>