Nicholas v. United States (384 U.S. 678)/Concurrence Harlan

by John Marshall Harlan II

United States Supreme Court

384 U.S. 678

Nicholas  v.  United States (384 U.S. 678)

 Argued: April 19, 1966. --- Decided: June 13, 1966

Mr. Justice HARLAN, concurring in part and dissenting in part.

Recognizing the case to be difficult, I would affirm the Court of Appeals' decision to allow both the interest and the penalty as administration expenses. On both points, I think there are fair policy arguments which can be mustered to support either result. On balance, it seems to me that the entire period starting with the Chapter XI operation and carrying through the bankruptcy proceeding should be regarded as a continuum of court administration. See especially § 378(2) of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C. § 778(2) (1946 ed.). From this I think it follows that interest should not be stopped when bankruptcy succeeds the Chapter XI period, and that the court-appointed trustee does fall heir to the responsibilities of the court-supervised debtor in possession to file returns.

Mr. Justice WHITE, with whom Mr. Justice DOUGLAS and Mr. Justice FORTAS join, concurring in part and dissenting in part.

Notes