Barbara Franklin v. Massachusetts
505 U.S. 788 · Decided June 26, 1992 · 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
Barbara Franklin v. Massachusetts was decided on June 26, 1992 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Judicial review of agency actions” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 505 U.S. 788 · 112 S. Ct. 2767 · 120 L. Ed. 2d 636 · 1992 U.S. LEXIS 4531
- Docket number
- 91-1502
- Decided
- June 26, 1992
- Argued
- April 21, 1992
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Judicial review of agency actions
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Special concurrence | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority |
Full case caption
Barbara Franklin, Secretary of Commerce, et al. v. Massachusetts et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1991-115, docket 1991-115-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Judicial review of agency actions”
- National Railroad Passenger Corporation v. Boston and Maine Corporation
- Peter C. Reiter v. Langdon M. Cooper
- Michael E. Lincoln v. Grover Vigil
- Good Samaritan Hospital v. Donna E. Shalala
- United States National Bank of Oregon v. Independent Insurance Agents of America, Inc.
- Harriet Pauley v. Bethenergy Mines, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- R. Gordon Darby v. Henry G. Cisneros
- Director v. Greenwich CollieriesAltered precedent
- Lujan v. National Wildlife Federation
- Bowen v. Massachusetts
- Webster v. Doe
- Department of the Army v. Blue Fox, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States v. McOrp Financial, Inc.
- Robert E. Gibson v. Florida Bar
- William Lewis Smith v. Wayne S. Barry
- State of Wyoming v. State of OklahomaLaw held unconstitutional
- Donald J. Willy v. Coastal Corporation
- John J. McCarthy v. Larry Madigan
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