Berry v. Doles
438 U.S. 190 · Decided June 26, 1978 · 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
Berry v. Doles was decided on June 26, 1978 by a vote of 7–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part, reversed or vacated it in part, and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 438 U.S. 190 · 98 S. Ct. 2692 · 57 L. Ed. 2d 693 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 129
- Docket number
- 76-1690
- Decided
- June 26, 1978
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent |
Full case caption
Berry et al. v. Doles et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-143, docket 1977-143-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments”
- United States v. Board of Commissioners of Sheffield
- Dougherty County v. White
- Briscoe v. Bell
- Morris v. Gressette
- United States v. Board of Supervisors of Warren County
- City of Rome v. United States
Cases on the same legal provision: Voting Rights Act of 1965
- East Carroll Parish School Board v. Marshall
- Joan Growe v. James Emison
- George Voinovich v. Barney Quilter
- Rick Perry v. Shannon Perez
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Califano v. Jobst
- Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
- Nashville Gas Co. v. Satty
- Richmond Unified School District v. Berg
- United Air Lines, Inc. v. McMann
- Quilloin v. Walcott et Vir
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