United States v. National Ass'n of Real Estate Boards

This is a civil action brought by the United States to enjoin appellees1 from engaging in a price-fixing conspiracy in violation of § 3 of the Sherman Act, 26 Stat. 209, 15 U. S. C. § 3.2 The core of the case is the charge that the members of the Washington Real Estate Board combined and conspired to fix the commission rates for their services when acting as brokers in the sale, exchange, lease and management of real property in the District of Columbia.

The same conspiracy was charged in a criminal proceeding.3 The criminal case was tried first. At the end of the Government’s case the court…