California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
474 U.S. 9 · Decided November 4, 1985 · 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
California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe was decided on November 4, 1985 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indians, state jurisdiction” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 474 U.S. 9 · 106 S. Ct. 289 · 88 L. Ed. 2d 9 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 136
- Docket number
- 85-130
- Decided
- November 4, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians, state jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Jurisdictional dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Jurisdictional dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
California State Board of Equalization et al. v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-003, docket 1985-003-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians, state jurisdiction”
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife v. Klamath Indian Tribe
- Montana v. Blackfeet Tribe of Indians
- South Carolina v. Catawba Indian Tribe, Inc.
- Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation v. Wold Engineering, P. C.
- County of Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York State
- California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Green v. Mansour
- Vasquez v. Hillery
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Malley v. Briggs
- Pembaur v. City of Cincinnati
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