 Valentine Goesaert was the owner of a bar in the city of Dearborn, Michigan.According to Michigan law, she was not allowed to be the owner of a bar since the population in Dearborn exceeded 50,000.On November 20, 1947, Goesaert and her daughter challenged the Michigan law at the district court of Detroit before Circuit Judge Simons and District Judges Levin and Picard.