Butner v. United States
440 U.S. 48 · Decided February 21, 1979 · 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
Butner v. United States was decided on February 21, 1979 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Bankruptcy” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 440 U.S. 48 · 99 S. Ct. 914 · 59 L. Ed. 2d 136 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 58
- Docket number
- 77-1410
- Decided
- February 21, 1979
- Argued
- November 27, 1978
- 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
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Bankruptcy
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Bankruptcy Code or Bankruptcy Act
- 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Butner v. United States et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-037, docket 1978-037-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: Bankruptcy Code or Bankruptcy Act
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- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. First Lincolnwood Corp.
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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