The outcome of the legal case of S. J. Sligh vs. James A. Kirkwood, Sheriff of Orange County, Florida, was that the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the Florida law that made it unlawful to sell immature or unfit citrus fruits, as it was deemed to be rationally related to the state's legitimate interest in protecting its reputation in foreign markets, which had a beneficial effect on a great home industry. The Court held that the state had a legitimate interest in regulating the sale of citrus fruits to ensure their quality and protect the state's reputation in foreign markets. The Court also held that the law was not unconstitutional as it did not violate the due process or equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.