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Hanna v. Plumer, 380 U.S. 460 (1965)

Full notes and cites: https://opinion-of-the-court.pages.dev/ep/069-hanna-v-plumer

Official text (U.S. Reports, Library of Congress): https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep380/usrep380460/usrep380460.pdf

Full text of the opinions, AI-narrated (Kokoro-82M, voice af_heart). Original introduction; opinion text is public domain. Not legal advice.

Eleanor Hanna, an Ohio citizen, sued the executor of a Massachusetts driver's estate in federal court in Massachusetts after a car accident in South Carolina. She served the executor by leaving the papers at his home, as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure allow. A Massachusetts statute required delivery in hand to an executor within one year. Under Erie, the executor argued, Massachusetts law had to control.

Chief Justice Warren, for the Court, held that when a Federal Rule directly governs the question, Erie's analysis does not apply. The Rule controls so long as it is valid under the Rules Enabling Act and the Constitution. Warren also refined Erie's outcome test with its "twin aims": discouraging forum-shopping and avoiding inequitable administration of the laws.

Justice Black concurred. Justice Harlan concurred separately, proposing that the real question was whether a rule would substantially affect primary decisions about private conduct. Hanna is the second half of every Erie lecture.

Citations: reporter citations were shortened or left out of the audio; every citation is listed on the website.

Cases named aloud

- Guaranty Trust Co. v. York, 326 U.S. 99 [as printed: Guaranty Trust Co. v. York, 326 U. S. 99; Concurrence (Mr. Justice Harlan)] (episode link pending)

- Ragan v. Merchants Transfer Co., 337 U.S. 530 [as printed: Ragan v. Merchants Transfer Co., 337 U. S. 530; Concurrence (Mr. Justice Harlan)] (episode link pending)

- Sibbach v. Wilson & Co., 312 U.S. 1 [as printed: Sibbach v. Wilson & Co., supra; Opinion of the Court (Mr. Chief Justice Warren)] (episode link pending)

- Mississippi Pub. Corp. v. Murphree, 326 U.S. 438 [as printed: Mississippi Pub. Corp. v. Murphree, 326 U. S. 438; Opinion of the Court (Mr. Chief Justice Warren)] (episode link pending)

- Swift v. Tyson, 16 Pet. 1 [as printed: Swift v. Tyson, 16 Pet. 1; Opinion of the Court (Mr. Chief Justice Warren)] (episode link pending)

- 1938. Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64 [as printed: R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U. S. 64; Opinion of the Court (Mr. Chief Justice Warren)] episode

- Schlagenhauf v. Holder, 379 U.S. 104 [as printed: Schlagenhauf v. Holder, 379 U. S. 104; Opinion of the Court (Mr. Chief Justice Warren)] (episode link pending)

- Cohen v. Beneficial Loan Corp., 337 U.S. 541 [as printed: Cohen v. Beneficial Loan Corp., supra; Opinion of the Court (Mr. Chief Justice Warren)] episode

- Doyle v. Moylan, 141 F.Supp. 95 (D. C. D. Mass. 1956) [as printed: Doyle v. Moylan, 141 F. Supp. 95 (D. C. D. Mass. 1956); Opinion of the Court (Mr. Chief Justice Warren)] (episode link pending)

- Spaulding v. McConnell, 307 Mass. 144 (1940) at 146 [as printed: Spaulding v. McConnell, 307 Mass. 144, 146, 29 N. E. 2d 713, 715 (1940); Opinion of the Court (Mr. Chief Justice Warren)] (episode link pending)

(+5 more named aloud; see the website)

Full list of 59 citations not read aloud: https://opinion-of-the-court.pages.dev/ep/069-hanna-v-plumer