Bell v. United States
366 U.S. 393 · Decided May 22, 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
Bell v. United States was decided on May 22, 1961 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Military, veterans” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 366 U.S. 393 · 81 S. Ct. 1230 · 6 L. Ed. 2d 365 · 1961 U.S. LEXIS 1943
- Docket number
- 92
- Decided
- May 22, 1961
- Argued
- January 11, 1961
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Military, veterans
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 37 U.S.C. § 242
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Bell et al. v. United States
SCDB identifiers: case 1960-099, docket 1960-099-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Military, veterans”
- United States v. Oregon
- United States v. Shimer
- Porter v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.
- Tilton v. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
- Brooks v. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
- McKinney v. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Co.
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Gomillion v. LightfootLaw held unconstitutional
- Chaunt v. United States
- Polites v. United States
- Boynton v. Virginia
- Bush v. Orleans Parish School BoardLaw held unconstitutional
- Monroe v. Pape
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