Berenyi v. Director, Immigration and Naturalization Service (1966)
- Docket
- 66
- Decided
- 1966-01-01
- Category
- General
Summary
Question: Did the court of appeals err in upholding the district court’s finding that Berenyi was a member of the Communist party without evidence that the membership was a “meaningful association”? Conclusion: No. Justice Potter Stewart, writing for a 6-3 majority, affirmed the First Circuit. The Supreme Court held that it could not review a factual finding by two lower courts without an obvious and exceptional showing of error. The record gave no indication that the district court or the court of appeals made such an error. Justice William O. Douglas dissented, arguing that the district court’s finding was clearly erroneous based on other evidence presented at the naturalization hearing. Chief Justice Earl Warren and Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. joined in the dissent.