Nevada Commission on Equal Rights of Citizens v. Smith

OPINION

By the Court,

Thompson, J.:

This case involves the constitutionality of the statute creating the Nevada Commission on Equal Rights of Citizens, the legality of that commission’s power to subpoena witnesses, and the enforcement procedure available to the commission should a subpoenaed witness fail to appear and testify.

The controversy arose because of the commission’s desire to question an officer of a corporation about its racial policies and practices. The relevant facts are few. El Capitan Lodge and Casino, a corporation, operates a place of public accommodation at Hawthorne, Nevada.…