Thompson v. Lawson

Mr. Justice Black,

with whom Mr. Justice Douglas and Mr. Justice Minton concur, dissenting.

Petitioner’s husband, a longshoreman, was killed in 1951 on a job governed by the Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. Petitioner was not then living with her husband and had not done so since he deserted her and their two children in 1925. Petitioner went through a marriage ceremony with another man in 1940 living with him as his wife until 1949 when they were divorced. Of course this marriage was invalid and petitioner remained the wife of her husband until he was killed. The Court now…