Houser v. State

540 P.2d 412 (1975)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Houser (P) brought a class action suit against the State challenging the constitutionality of legislation that established the minimum drinking age to be 21. P contended that this discrimination violated equal protection and that 18-year-olds were adults for all other purposes other than drinking and that no scientific facts could support the State's conclusions. The State countered with two technical studies and a single federal case that upheld a Pennsylvania statute that limited drinking to those 21 and over. The trial court rendered summary judgment in favor of D and P appealed challenging the court's judicial notice of the State's studies and its refusal to grant a trial on the merits.