Betty Breland v. Edgar Rice

This suit sought a federal court stay of the execution of a judgment rendered by a Texas state court. In essence, the petition alleges that Vernon’s Ann.Civ. Statute, Article 4619, § l, 1 and the Texas .Common Law designating the husband as the only necessary party in suits involving disputes with third parties as to lands held in the community estate,' violate both the Equal Protection and the Due Process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The state court judgment was rendered in a trespass to try title suit.

After the initial trial on the merits and an appeal, 2 the wives of the original…