Martin v. City of New York

The action is for a declaratory judgment. The motion and cross motion are for summary judgment. The purpose is to test the constitutionality of Local Law 80. (Local Laws, 1957, No. 80 of City of New York.) Whatever else one may think about the plaintiff or this proceeding, one thing is admirable, the directness and simplicity of the attack. Local Law 80 is designed to prevent discrimination in housing and forbids owners of multiple dwellings to deny accommodations on account of race, color or religion. A somewhat unusual machinery is set up to determine whether a landlord has in fact refused…