The People of the State of New York v. . Henry J. Havnor

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of Henry J. Havnor for operating a barber shop after 1 p.m. on Sunday, holding that the statute regulating barbering on Sundays is a valid exercise of the state's police power and does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment due process or equal protection clauses. The majority reasoned that the law has a reasonable relation to public health and welfare by providing a day of rest, and it treats similarly situated barbers alike within the specified localities. Two dissenting opinions argued that the statute is arbitrary class legislation that infringes on constitutional guarantees.