California v. United States
438 U.S. 645 · Decided July 3, 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
California v. United States was decided on July 3, 1978 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 438 U.S. 645 · 98 S. Ct. 2985 · 57 L. Ed. 2d 1018 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 42
- Docket number
- 77-285
- Decided
- July 3, 1978
- Argued
- March 28, 1978
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- 43 U.S.C. § 371
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
California et al. v. United States
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-155, docket 1977-155-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- United States v. New Mexico
- Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill
- Andrus v. Charlestone Stone Products Co.
- Adamo Wrecking Co. v. United States
- Andrus v. Sierra Club
- E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co. v. Train
Cases on the same legal provision: 43 U.S.C. § 371
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- County Board of Arlington County v. Richards
- Southern Overlying Carrier Chapter of the California Dump Truck Owners Association v. Public Utilities Commission of California
- Adamo Wrecking Co. v. United States
- Pfizer Inc. v. Government of India
- Carter v. MillerLaw held unconstitutional
- Raymond Motor Transportation, Inc. v. RiceLaw held unconstitutional
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