Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co.
398 U.S. 144 · Decided June 1, 1970 · 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
Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co. was decided on June 1, 1970 by a vote of 5–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John M. Harlan II wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Desegregation (general)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 398 U.S. 144 · 90 S. Ct. 1598 · 26 L. Ed. 2d 142 · 1970 U.S. LEXIS 31
- Docket number
- 79
- Decided
- June 1, 1970
- Argued
- November 12, 1969
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–2
- Majority opinion
- John M. Harlan II
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Desegregation (general)
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority |
Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall.
Full case caption
Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co.
SCDB identifiers: case 1969-101, docket 1969-101-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Desegregation (general)”
- Evans v. Abney
- Carter v. Jury Commission of Greene County
- Turner v. FoucheLaw held unconstitutional
- Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc.
- Daniel v. Paul
- Palmer v. Thompson
Cases on the same legal provision: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Houghton v. Shafer
- Damico v. California
- District of Columbia v. Carter
- Preiser v. Rodriguez
- Moor v. County of Alameda
- City of Kenosha v. Bruno
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education
- Brockington v. Rhodes
- Hall et Ux. v. Beals
- Carter v. West Feliciana Parish School Board
- Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc.
- Dowell v. Board of Education of Oklahoma City Public Schools
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