Dice v. Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railroad Co.
United States Supreme Court
342 U.S. 359 (1952)
Relevant factsFree
Dice (plaintiff) sued the Railroad (defendant) under the federal FELA statute in Ohio state court, claiming he was misled into signing a release believing it was merely a back-pay receipt; a jury found for Dice, but the trial judge entered judgment for the Railroad notwithstanding the verdict, and the Ohio Supreme Court ultimately held that Ohio's own law-versus-equity distinction properly let the judge, not the jury, decide the release's validity as a factual matter.
IssueFree
Whether a state court can dispense with a jury trial in a case where the plaintiff bases its claim on a federal statute, even if the state court still recognizes a difference between courts of law and equity.