City of Tacoma v. Taxpayers of Tacoma
357 U.S. 320 · Decided June 23, 1958 · 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
City of Tacoma v. Taxpayers of Tacoma was decided on June 23, 1958 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Charles E. Whittaker wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “National supremacy, public utilities” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 357 U.S. 320 · 78 S. Ct. 1209 · 2 L. Ed. 2d 1345 · 1958 U.S. LEXIS 1775
- Docket number
- 509
- Decided
- June 23, 1958
- Argued
- April 30, 1958
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Charles E. Whittaker
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- National supremacy, public utilities
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- Federal Power Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
City of Tacoma v. Taxpayers of Tacoma et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1957-133, docket 1957-133-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “National supremacy, public utilities”
- City of Chicago v. AtchisonLaw held unconstitutional
- Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co. v. Michigan Public Service Commission
- Regents of the University System of Georgia v. Carroll
- Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Enginemen v. Chicago
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Mississippi
- Verizon Md. Inc. v. Public Service Comm'n of Md.
Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Power Act
- Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation
- Federal Power Commission v. Sierra Pacific Power Co.
- Federal Power Commission v. Oregon
- Federal Power Commission v. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.
- United States v. Public Utilities Commission of California
- Federal Power Commission v. Idaho Power Co.
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Youngdahl v. Rainfair, Inc.
- Public Utilities Commission of California v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
- International Association of Machinists v. Gonzales
- International Union v. Russell
- City of Chicago v. AtchisonLaw 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