Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, INC 348 U.S. 483 (1 !!

" #$stice %OU&L'S (elive)e( the opinion of the Co$)t. *his s$it +as instit$te( in the %ist)ict Co$)t to have an Oklahoma la+, (ecla)e( $nconstit$tional an( to en,oin state officials f)om enfo)cin- it, fo) the )eason that it alle-e(l. violate( va)io$s p)ovisions of the /e(e)al Constit$tion. *he %ist)ict Co$)t hel( $nconstit$tional po)tions of th)ee sections of the 'ct. /i)st, it hel( invali( $n(e) the %$e 0)ocess Cla$se of the /o$)teenth 'men(ment the po)tions of 1 2 +hich make it $nla+f$l fo) an. pe)son not a license( optomet)ist o) ophthalmolo-ist to fit lenses to a face o) to ($plicate o) )eplace into f)ames lenses o) othe) optical appliances, e3cept $pon +)itten p)esc)iptive a$tho)it. of an Oklahoma license( ophthalmolo-ist o) optomet)ist. 'n ophthalmolo-ist is a ($l. license( ph.sician +ho speciali4es in the ca)e of the e.es. 'n optomet)ist e3amines e.es fo) )ef)active e))o), )eco-ni4es (5$t (oes not t)eat" (iseases of the e.e, an( fills p)esc)iptions fo) e.e-lasses. *he optician is an a)tisan 6$alifie( to -)in( lenses, fill p)esc)iptions, an( fit f)ames. *he effect of 1 2 is to fo)5i( the optician f)om fittin- o) ($plicatin- lenses +itho$t a p)esc)iption f)om an ophthalmolo-ist o) optomet)ist. In p)actical effect, it means that no optician can fit ol( -lasses into ne+ f)ames o) s$ppl. a lens, +hethe) it 5e a ne+ lens o) one to ($plicate a lost o) 5)oken lens, +itho$t a p)esc)iption. *he %ist)ict Co$)t conce(e( that it +as in the competence of the police po+e) of a State to )e-$late the e3amination of the e.es. 7$t it )e5elle( at the notion that a State co$l( )e6$i)e a p)esc)iption f)om an optomet)ist o) ophthalmolo-ist 8to take ol( lenses an( place them in ne+ f)ames an( then fit the complete( spectacles to the face of the e.e-lass +ea)e). It hel( that s$ch a )e6$i)ement +as not 8)easona5l. an( )ationall. )elate( to the health an( +elfa)e of the people.8 *he co$)t fo$n( that th)o$-h mechanical (evices an( o)(ina). skills the optician co$l( take a 5)oken lens o) a f)a-ment the)eof, meas$)e its po+e), an( )e($ce it to p)esc)iptive te)ms. *he Oklahoma la+ ma. e3act a nee(less, +astef$l )e6$i)ement in man. cases. 7$t it is fo) the le-islat$)e, not the co$)ts, to 5alance the a(vanta-es an( (isa(vanta-es of the ne+ )e6$i)ement. It appea)s that in man. cases the optician can easil. s$ppl. the ne+ f)ames o) ne+ lenses +itho$t )efe)ence to the ol( +)itten p)esc)iption. It also appea)s that man. +)itten p)esc)iptions contain no (i)ective (ata in )e-a)( to fittin- spectacles to the face. 7$t in some cases the (i)ections containe( in the p)esc)iption a)e essential, if the -lasses a)e to 5e fitte( so as to co))ect the pa)tic$la) (efects of vision o) alleviate the e.e con(ition. *he le-islat$)e mi-ht have concl$(e( that the f)e6$enc. of occasions +hen a p)esc)iption is necessa). +as s$fficient to ,$stif. this )e-$lation of the fittin- of e.e-lasses. Like+ise, +hen it is necessa). to ($plicate a lens, a +)itten p)esc)iption ma. o) ma. not 5e necessa).. 7$t the le-islat$)e mi-ht have concl$(e( that one +as nee(e( often eno$-h to )e6$i)e one in eve). case.