Brown v. Thomson
462 U.S. 835 · Decided June 22, 1983 · 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
Brown v. Thomson was decided on June 22, 1983 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Reapportionment (other than Voting Rights Act plans)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 462 U.S. 835 · 103 S. Ct. 2690 · 77 L. Ed. 2d 214 · 1983 U.S. LEXIS 78
- Docket number
- 82-65
- Decided
- June 22, 1983
- Argued
- March 21, 1983
- Court era
- Burger 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
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Concurrence | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Brown et al. v. Thomson, Secretary of State of Wyoming, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1982-127, docket 1982-127-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Reapportionment (other than Voting Rights Act plans)”
- Karcher v. DaggettLaw held unconstitutional
- Upham v. Seamon
- Ball v. James
- Davis v. Bandemer
- Connor v. Coleman
- Connor v. Coleman
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Lehr v. Robertson
- Exxon Corp. v. Eagerton
- Pickett v. BrownLaw held unconstitutional
- Bearden v. Georgia
- Martinez v. Bynum
- Palmore v. Sidoti
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Miranda
- City of Port Arthur v. United States
- City of Lockhart v. United States
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Wyoming
- Briscoe v. Lahue
- Arizona v. California
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