thompson louisville argued decided march record case petitioner conviction city police two offenses loitering disorderly conduct totally devoid evidentiary support invalid due process clause fourteenth amendment pp reversed louis lusky argued cause petitioner brief marvin morse harold leventhal eugene gressman herman frick argued cause respondents brief jo ferguson attorney general kentucky david sebree assistant attorney general william berry justice black delivered opinion petitioner found guilty police louisville kentucky two offenses loitering disorderly conduct ultimate question presented us whether charges petitioner totally devoid evidentiary support render conviction unconstitutional due process clause fourteenth amendment decision question turns sufficiency evidence whether conviction rests upon evidence facts shown record short simple petitioner resident louisville area went liberty end cafe saturday evening january addition selling food cafe licensed sell beer public patrons present time petitioner petitioner cafe half hour two louisville police officers came routine check upon seeing petitioner floor dancing one officers according testimony went manager sitting stool nearby asked long petitioner bought anything officer testified upon told manager petitioner little bought anything accosted thompson asked reason said waiting bus officer informed petitioner arrest took outside arrest loitering going outside officer testified petitioner argumentative argued us back forth placed disorderly conduct charge admittedly disorderly conduct conviction rests solely one sentence description petitioner conduct left cafe foregoing evidence includes city offered except record purportedly showing total previous arrests petitioner putting defense petitioner moved dismissal charges ground judgment conviction record deprive property liberty without due process law fourteenth amendment evidence support findings guilt two arrests prosecutions reprisals petitioner employed counsel demanded judicial hearing defend prior allegedly baseless charges police motion denied petitioner put evidence behalf none way strengthened city case testified bought one cafe employees served dish macaroni glass beer remained cafe waiting bus go home evidence showed without dispute time arrest petitioner gave officers home address money bus schedule showing bus home stop within half block cafe owned two unimproved lots land addition work done others regularly worked one day week family years paid rent home lived meager income sufficient meet needs cafe manager testified petitioner frequently patronized cafe never told petitioner unwelcome manager testified occasion saw petitioner standing middle floor patting foot time petitioner stay object anything evidence anyone else cafe objected petitioner shuffling feet rhythm music jukebox conduct boisterous offensive anyone present close evidence petitioner repeated motion dismissal charges ground conviction foregoing evidence deprive liberty property without due process fourteenth amendment denied motion convicted offenses fined charge motion new trial grounds also denied exhausted petitioner remedies police since police fines less single charge appealable otherwise reviewable kentucky petitioner asked police stay judgments might opportunity apply certiorari case became moot review due process contentions raised police suspended judgment hours time petitioner sought longer stay kentucky circuit examining police judgments transcript granted stay concluding appears merit contention evidence upon conviction sentence police based petitioner federal constitutional claims substantial frivolous appeal city kentucky appeals held circuit lacked power grant stay nevertheless went take extraordinary step granting stay even though petitioner made original application stay explaining reason appeals took occasion agree circuit petitioner federal constitutional claims substantial frivolous appeals went say petitioner appears real question whether denied due process fourteenth amendment federal constitution yet substantive right tested unless grant stay execution fines appealable satisfied served jail prepare file petition certiorari appellee substantive right due process avail unless grants ancillary right whereby may test city correctly assumes support convictions record void denials due process pertinent portion city ordinance petitioner convicted loitering reads follows shall unlawful person without visible means support give satisfactory account sleep lie loaf trespass premises building structure city louisville without first obtained consent owner controller said premises structure building ordinances city louisville petitioner spent half hour saturday evening january public cafe sold food beer public asked account presence said waiting bus city concedes law making offense person cafe dance shuffle pat feet time music undisputed testimony manager know whether petitioner bought macaroni beer see patting shuffling dancing petitioner welcome manager testified time petitioner stay cafe object anything petitioner never saw petitioner anything cause objection surely implied consent city admitted oral argument satisfies ordinance arresting officer admitted nothing way vulgar called petitioner ordinary dance whatever relevance vulgarity might charge loitering simply semblance evidence person reasonably infer petitioner give satisfactory account loitering loafing ordinary sense words without consent owner controller cafe petitioner conviction disorderly conduct city ordinance without definition provides hoever shall found guilty disorderly conduct city louisville shall fined etc evidence disorderly conduct single statement policeman petitioner arrested taken cafe argumentative testimony petitioner raised voice used offensive language resisted officers engaged conduct kind likely way adversely affect good order tranquillity city louisville information record contains petitioner argumentative statement asked officers arrested assume justified assuming merely arguing policeman disorderly conduct matter substantive law kentucky see lanzetta new jersey moreover kentucky law seems provide man wrongfully arrested fails object arresting officer waives right complain later arrest unlawful nickell commonwealth thus find evidence whatever record support convictions conviction upon charge made sheer denial due process violation due process convict punish man without evidence guilt judgments reversed cause remanded police city louisville proceedings inconsistent opinion reversed remanded footnotes petitioner added effect convictions deny redress prior alleged arbitrary unlawful arrests based fact kentucky law conviction bars suits malicious prosecution even false imprisonment thus petitioner says subject arbitrary continued arrests neither reviewable regular appellate procedures subject challenge independent civil actions officer previous testimony petitioner bought food drink seriously undermined contradicted manager testimony trial manager stated officer asked sic sold thing eat said said beer said emphasis supplied manager acknowledged petitioner might bought something served waiter waitress without manager noticing whether purchase however significance issue rev stat see jefferson circuit kentucky appeals held review either direct appeal collateral proceeding foreclosed petitioner thompson taustine jefferson kentucky circuit common pleas branch fifth division per grauman unreported taustine thompson without stay bail pending application review petitioner served fines prison days rate day taustine thompson thompson taustine jefferson kentucky circuit common pleas branch fifth division per grauman unreported taustine thompson illustration city brief questions presented whether evidence sufficient support convictions therefore meets requirements due process clause fourteenth amendment section provides penalties violation de jonge oregon see also cole arkansas see schware board bar examiners ex rel vajtauer commissioner moore dempsey yick wo hopkins cf akins texas tot concurring opinion mooney holohan