Why Nine Justices? The Democrat Who Challenged FDR's Supreme Court-Packing Scheme

Share this story with friends

Despite being a member of President Roosevelt's New Deal team, Hatton Sumners—a name most people don't know today—put his political career on the line to prevent FDR from packing the Supreme Court. Here's Josiah Daniel with the remarkable story of why there are still 9 Supreme Court justices today.

A special thanks to the Sumners Foundation for helping with this story.