Hugo Black

“ And here the Wisconsin law purports on its face to place such arbitrary and tyrannical power in the hands of minor officers and others that these modern bills of attainder can be issued ex parte, without notice or hearing of any kind or character. It is impossible for me to believe that the Supreme Court of Wisconsin would uphold any such boundless power over the lives and liberties of its citizens. ”

“ As the Court's opinion, the cases there cited, and THE CHIEF JUSTICE's dissent point out, such a course of action is justified 'where the issue of state law is uncertain' and where the state court might confine the state law's meaning so 'as not to have any constitutional infirmity.' The Wisconsin Act appears on its face to grant authority to a man's wife, a mayor, a town's supervisors, the county superintendent of the poor, sheriff, or a district attorney to post notices forbidding liquor establishments from giving or selling any alcoholic beverages to the person so posted. ”