In City of Leavenworth v. Kinney, the United States Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a city ordinance that prohibited the sale of intoxicating liquors within the city limits was constitutional. The ordinance was challenged by a local saloonkeeper, who argued that the ordinance violated his right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court held that the ordinance was constitutional. The Court reasoned that the ordinance was a valid exercise of the city's police power, and that it did not violate the saloonkeeper's right to due process of law. The Court noted that the ordinance was a reasonable exercise of the city's power to regulate the sale of intoxicating liquors, and that it was not an arbitrary or oppressive measure. The Court also held that the ordinance did not violate the saloonkeeper's right to equal protection of the laws, as the ordinance applied equally to all persons within the city limits. The Court concluded that the ordinance was a valid exercise of the city's police power, and that it did not violate the saloonkeeper's constitutional rights.

In City of Leavenworth v. Kinney, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a city ordinance that prohibited the sale of intoxicating liquors within two miles of an Indian reservation violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The majority opinion held that it did not violate equal protection because there was no discrimination against any particular class or group and thus no violation occurred. Justice Field dissented from this decision, arguing that while there may have been no intentional discrimination in enacting this law, its effect is to deny certain individuals their right to purchase liquor based solely on their race or ethnicity as members of an Indian tribe living near a reservation. He argued further that such laws are unconstitutional under both state and federal constitutions because they create unequal treatment for people who are similarly situated but treated differently due to their race or ethnicity alone.