Carey v. Piphus

435 U.S. 247 · Decided March 21, 1978 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Carey v. Piphus was decided on March 21, 1978 unanimously (8–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Liability under civil rights acts” in the Civil Rights area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Harry A. Blackmun.

Full case caption

Carey et al. v. Piphus et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1977-051, docket 1977-051-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Liability under civil rights acts”

• Stump v. Sparkman et Vir
  435 U.S. 349Decided March 28, 19785–3Byron R. White
• Procunier v. Navarette
  434 U.S. 555Decided February 22, 19787–2Byron R. White
• Flagg Bros., Inc. v. Brooks
  436 U.S. 149Decided May 15, 19785–3William H. Rehnquist
• Monell v. Department of Social Services of the City of New YorkAltered precedent
  436 U.S. 658Decided June 6, 19787–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Baker v. McCollan
  443 U.S. 137Decided June 26, 19796–3William H. Rehnquist
• Martinez v. California
  444 U.S. 277Decided January 15, 19809–0John Paul Stevens

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)

• Robertson v. Wegmann
  436 U.S. 584Decided May 31, 19786–3Thurgood Marshall
• Aldinger v. Howard
  427 U.S. 1Decided June 24, 19766–3William H. Rehnquist
• Examining Board of Engineers v. Flores de OteroLaw held unconstitutional
  426 U.S. 572Decided June 17, 19767–1Harry A. Blackmun
• Rizzo v. Goode
  423 U.S. 362Decided January 21, 19765–3William H. Rehnquist
• Chardon v. Fernandez
  454 U.S. 6Decided November 2, 19816–3Per curiam
• Fair Assessment in Real Estate Association, Inc. v. McNary
  454 U.S. 100Decided December 1, 19815–4William H. Rehnquist

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• Califano v. Jobst
  434 U.S. 47Decided November 8, 19779–0John Paul Stevens
• Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
  434 U.S. 100Decided December 5, 19776–3Per curiam
• Nashville Gas Co. v. Satty
  434 U.S. 136Decided December 6, 19779–0William H. Rehnquist
• Richmond Unified School District v. Berg
  434 U.S. 158Decided December 6, 19779–0Per curiam
• United Air Lines, Inc. v. McMann
  434 U.S. 192Decided December 12, 19777–2Warren E. Burger
• Quilloin v. Walcott et Vir
  434 U.S. 246Decided January 10, 19789–0Thurgood Marshall

See all

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