Burke v. Barnes
479 U.S. 361 · Decided January 14, 1987 · 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
Burke v. Barnes was decided on January 14, 1987 by a vote of 6–2. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Mootness” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 479 U.S. 361 · 107 S. Ct. 734 · 93 L. Ed. 2d 732 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 285
- Docket number
- 85-781
- Decided
- January 14, 1987
- Argued
- November 4, 1986
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Mootness
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Article III, Section 2, Paragraph 1 (case or controversy requirement)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Did not participate: Antonin Scalia.
Full case caption
Burke, Acting Archivist of the United States, et al. v. Barnes et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-020, docket 1986-020-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Mootness”
- United States Department of the Treasury v. Galioto
- United States v. Koecher
- Lake Coal Co., Inc. v. Roberts & Schaefer Co.
- Otis R. Bowen v. Kenneth Kizer
- Mintzes v. Buchanon
- Honig v. Students of the California School for the Blind
Cases on the same legal provision: Article III, Section 2, Paragraph 1 (case or controversy requirement)
- Brock v. Roadway Express, Inc.
- Hodel v. IrvingLaw held unconstitutional
- International Union v. Brock
- Richard Pennell and Tri-County Apartment House Owners Association v. City of San Jose and City Council of San Jose
- New York State Club Association, Inc. v. City of New York
- Thomas v. Union Carbide Agricultural Products Co.
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Cerbone v. Conway
- Wright v. City of Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority
- Burlington Northern Railroad Co. v. Woods
- Iowa Mutual Insurance Co. v. Laplante
- Stringfellow v. Concerned Neighbors in Action
- United States v. Merchant
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