Omaecheverria v. Idaho
United States Supreme Court
246 U.S. 343 (1918)
To prevent escalating violence between cattle ranchers and sheep herders competing for scarce Idaho grazing land, the state legislature barred sheep from grazing on public land previously occupied by cattle, while leaving that same land open to horses; sheep herder Omaecheverria (plaintiff) was convicted and fined for violating the statute, and after the Idaho Supreme Court affirmed, he appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the law violated equal protection and conflicted with a federal statute barring exclusive occupation of public lands.
Whether a state statute that prioritizes the presence of some livestock over others on public lands violates the Equal Protection Clause or a federal statute prohibiting exclusive use of public lands, where the state statute's purpose is to prevent violence between livestock owners.