Hughes v. Alexandria Scrap Corp.

Infobox SCOTUS case
Litigants = Hughes v. Alexandria Scrap Corp.
ArgueDate = January 21
ArgueYear = 1976
DecideDate = June 24
DecideYear = 1976
FullName = Harry R. Hughes, Secretary of Transportation of Maryland, et al.
v. Alexandria Scrap Corporation
USVol = 426
USPage = 794
Citation =
Prior =
Subsequent =
Holding = The Maryland statute does not constitute an impermissible burden on interstate commerce in violation of the Commerce Clause.
SCOTUS = 1975-1981
Majority = Powell
JoinMajority = Burger, Stewart, Blacknum, Rehnquist, Stevens
Dissent = Brennan
JoinDissent = White, Marshall
Dissent2 =
JoinDissent2 =
LawsApplied =

"Hughes v. Alexandria Scrap Corp.", ussc|426|794|1976 was a case argued before the Supreme Court of the United States. Maryland created a program that, 1) purchased junked cars, 2) paid a bounty for those with Maryland license plates and, 3) imposed more stringent documentation requirements on out-of-state processors, in an effort to reduce the number of abandoned cars in Maryland.

The Issue before the Court is whether such a program violates the Dormant Commerce Clause—essentially, whether Maryland could Constitutionally discriminate or burden interstate commerce by imposing more stringent documentation requirements on out-of-state processors or favoring in-state car dealerships when they purchase junk cars.

Unlike previous Dormant Commerce Clause cases, Maryland was acting like a market participant (as opposed to a state regulator). In such instances, the Court determined that a state actor can favor its own citizens over the foreign citizens.

This case created the "market participant" exception to the general restrictions on states imposed by the Dormant Commerce Clause.

Determining when a state is acting like a "market participant" rather than as a regulator was not decided by this case, but found in "South Central Timber Development v. Wunnicke", ussc|467|82|1984.

ee also

*List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 426