The Fuller Court ruled in Holden v. Hardy (1898) that a Utah statute limiting miners to 8-hour work days was constitutional. Albert Holden, convicted for violating the statute, challenged his conviction in federal court, suing Salt Lake County sheriff Harvey Hardy. The Court determined that the state’s interests in ensuring public health and safety justified this law. The Court focused on the dangerous working conditions in mines in support of the statute.
A coal miner stands below ground. In Holden v. Hardy, the Fuller Court ruled that a Utah statute limiting miners to 8-hour work days was constitutional. Hulton Archive/Getty Images.