A. L. Mechling Barge Lines, Inc. v. United States
368 U.S. 324 · Decided December 18, 1961 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
A. L. Mechling Barge Lines, Inc. v. United States was decided on December 18, 1961 by a vote of 5–4. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Mootness” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 368 U.S. 324 · 82 S. Ct. 337 · 7 L. Ed. 2d 317 · 1961 U.S. LEXIS 1963
- Docket number
- 41
- Decided
- December 18, 1961
- Argued
- November 8, 1961
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Felix Frankfurter
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Mootness
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Dissent | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Dissent | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority |
Full case caption
A. L. Mechling Barge Lines, Inc., et al. v. United States et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1961-017, docket 1961-017-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Mootness”
- Verret v. Oil Transport Co., Inc.
- Garvin v. Cochran
- Tilghman v. Culver
- Local No. 8-6 v. Missouri
- De Simone v. United States
- J. Aron & Company, Inc. v. Mississippi Shipping Company, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- National Labor Relations Board v. Ochoa Fertilizer Corp.
- Bailey v. Patterson
- National Labor Relations Board v. Brandman Iron Co.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Las Vegas Sand & Gravel Corp.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Local 476
- United Gas Pipe Line Co. v. Ideal Cement Co.
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error