Carson v. American Brands, Inc.
450 U.S. 79 · Decided February 25, 1981 · 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
Carson v. American Brands, Inc. was decided on February 25, 1981 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Review of nonfinal orders” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 450 U.S. 79 · 101 S. Ct. 993 · 67 L. Ed. 2d 59 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 69
- Docket number
- 79-1236
- Decided
- February 25, 1981
- Argued
- December 10, 1980
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Review of nonfinal orders
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. § 1292
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| 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 |
Full case caption
Carson et al. v. American Brands, Inc., T/a American Tobacco Co., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-041, docket 1980-041-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Review of nonfinal orders”
- Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Risjord
- United States v. Hollywood Motor Car Co., Inc.
- Gillette Co. v. Miner
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital v. Mercury Construction Corp.
- Coopers & Lybrand v. Livesay
- Gardner v. Westinghouse Broadcasting Co.
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. § 1292
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Allied Chemical Corp. v. Daiflon, Inc.
- County of Imperial v. Munoz
- Pacileo v. Walker
- Vincent v. Texas
- Federal Trade Commission v. Standard Oil Company of California
- Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Risjord
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