Atlantic Sounding Co., Inc. v. Edgar L. Townsend
557 U.S. 404 · Decided June 25, 2009 · 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
Atlantic Sounding Co., Inc. v. Edgar L. Townsend was decided on June 25, 2009 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Punitive damages” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 557 U.S. 404 · 129 S. Ct. 2561 · 174 L. Ed. 2d 382 · 2009 U.S. LEXIS 4732
- Docket number
- 08-214
- Decided
- June 25, 2009
- Argued
- March 2, 2009
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Clarence Thomas
- Opinion assigned by
- John Paul Stevens
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Punitive damages
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Jones Act or Death on the High Seas Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Dissent | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Atlantic Sounding Co., Inc., et al. v. Edgar L. Townsend
SCDB identifiers: case 2008-080, docket 2008-080-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: Jones Act or Death on the High Seas Act
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- Chandris, Inc. v. Antonios Latsis
- American Dredging Company v. William Robert Miller
- McDermott International, Inc. v. Jon C. Wilander
- Mercedel W. Miles v. Apex Marine Corporation
- Griffin v. Oceanic Contractors, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Donald C. Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
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- United States v. Eurodif S. A.
- Pacific Bell Telephone Company v. Linkline Communications, Inc.
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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