Glidden Company v. Zdanok (1961)
- Docket
- 242
- Decided
- 1961-01-01
- Category
- General
Summary
Question: Are judges in the United States Court of Claims and the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals constitutionally protected in tenure and compensation under Article III of the Constitution? Conclusion: Yes. Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the opinion of the 5-2 majority. The Court held that the judges, including retired judges, of the United States Court of Claims and the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals are constitutionally protected in tenure and compensation under Article III of the Constitution. Congressional declarations made it clear that those judges are protected under Article III, although such clarification was relatively recent. The Court held that it was not strictly bound to follow past precedent but was able to reconsider cases in which Congressional declarations have negated the previous holdings. Justice Byron R. White and Justice Felix Frankfurter did not participate in the discussion or decision of the case.