Daniel B. Locke v. Edward A. Karass
555 U.S. 207 · Decided January 21, 2009 · 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
Daniel B. Locke v. Edward A. Karass was decided on January 21, 2009 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Union or closed shop” in the Unions area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 555 U.S. 207 · 129 S. Ct. 798 · 172 L. Ed. 2d 552 · 2009 U.S. LEXIS 590
- Docket number
- 07-610
- Decided
- January 21, 2009
- Argued
- October 6, 2008
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Stephen G. Breyer
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Union or closed shop
- Issue area
- Unions
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Concurrence | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Concurrence | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Daniel B. Locke, et al. v. Edward A. Karass, State Controller, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2008-012, docket 2008-012-01.
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Other cases on “Union or closed shop”
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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Ben Ysursa v. Pocatello Education Association
- Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
- United States v. Michael Williams
- Citizens United v. Federal Election CommissionAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
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- Deborah Morse v. Joseph Frederick
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