Chrysler Corp. v. Brown
441 U.S. 281 · Decided April 18, 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
Chrysler Corp. v. Brown was decided on April 18, 1979 unanimously (9–0). The Court vacated 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 “Freedom of Information Act and related laws” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 441 U.S. 281 · 99 S. Ct. 1705 · 60 L. Ed. 2d 208 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 34
- Docket number
- 77-922
- Decided
- April 18, 1979
- Argued
- November 8, 1978
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Freedom of Information Act and related laws
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Freedom of Information, Sunshine, or Privacy 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 | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| 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
Chrysler Corp. v. Brown, Secretary of Defense, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-079, docket 1978-079-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Freedom of Information Act and related laws”
- Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve System v. Merrill
- National Labor Relations Board v. Robbins Tire & Rubber Co.
- Kissinger v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- Forsham v. Harris
- GTE Sylvania, Inc. v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.
- Consumer Product Safety Commission v. GTE Sylvania, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: Freedom of Information, Sunshine, or Privacy Act
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- Colautti v. FranklinLaw held unconstitutional
- Anders v. Floyd
- Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve System v. Merrill
- Bellotti v. BairdLaw 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