Opinion · Supreme Court of the United States

United States v. Zucca

United States v. Zucca, 351 U.S. 91 (1956)

Type
Opinion
Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction
Federal
Date
1956-04-30
Topic
general

How later courts describe this case

  • holding “the District Attorney must, as a prerequisite to the initiation of [civil revocation] proceedings, file an affidavit showing good cause” as a “procedural prerequisite to the maintenance of proceedings thereunder”
  • affirming dismissal of a denaturalization suit because of the Government's failure to comply with a mandatory prerequisite
  • announcing the principle that the affidavit showing good cause is “a prerequisite to the initiation of [denatu-ralization] proceedings” (emphasis added)
  • announcing the principle that the affidavit showing good cause is “a prerequisite to the initiation of [denaturalization] proceedings” (emphasis added)
  • “The complaint, under modern practice, is required merely to allege ultimate facts while the [A]ffidavit [of Good Cause] must set forth evidentiary matters showing good cause for cancellation of citizenship.”

Citator

UpLaw has not yet analyzed United States v. Zucca. The absence of a flag is not a finding that it is good law.

Cited by
94 opinions

Headnotes

  1. Immigration — Denaturalization Procedure Under § 340(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, the filing of an affidavit showing good cause is a procedural prerequisite to the maintenance of a denaturalization proceeding; the natural meaning of the statutory language is that the affidavit must be filed before the suit may be maintained, and this reading accords with the statute's legislative history, its contemporaneous administrative construction, and the usual administrative practice thereunder. 351 U.S. at 94-99
  2. Immigration — Exclusive Procedure for Denaturalization Section 340(a) is the only section under which a United States Attorney may institute denaturalization proceedings, and the affidavit showing good cause is a prerequisite to the maintenance of proceedings thereunder. 351 U.S. at 95, 99 (citing Bindczyck v. Finucane, 342 U.S. 76)
  3. Immigration — Sufficiency of Verified Complaint The filing of an affidavit showing good cause is not rendered unnecessary merely because the complaint itself is verified, because the complaint under modern practice is required only to allege ultimate facts, whereas the affidavit must set forth evidentiary matters showing good cause for cancellation of citizenship. 351 U.S. at 98-99
  4. Immigration — Purpose of Procedural Safeguard Because a denaturalization proceeding carries serious consequences even if citizenship is not cancelled — tarnishing reputation and damaging standing in the community — Congress provided that a person once admitted to citizenship should not be subject to legal proceedings to defend that citizenship without a preliminary showing of good cause, and in all cases the District Attorney must file an affidavit showing good cause as a prerequisite to initiating such proceedings. 351 U.S. at 99-100