Department of Revenue of Kentucky v. George W. Davis
553 U.S. 328 · Decided May 19, 2008 · 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
Department of Revenue of Kentucky v. George W. Davis was decided on May 19, 2008 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice David H. Souter wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “State or local government tax” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 553 U.S. 328 · 128 S. Ct. 1801 · 170 L. Ed. 2d 685 · 2008 U.S. LEXIS 4312
- Docket number
- 06-666
- Decided
- May 19, 2008
- Argued
- November 5, 2007
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- David H. Souter
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- State or local government tax
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Department of Revenue of Kentucky, et al. v. George W. Davis, et Ux
SCDB identifiers: case 2007-039, docket 2007-039-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)
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- Jennifer M. Granholm v. Eleanor HealdLaw held unconstitutional
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America v. Peter E. Walsh
- Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. ThomasLaw held unconstitutional
- West Lynn Creamery, Inc. v. Jonathan HealyLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Georgia State Board of Equalization
- Stoneridge Investment Partners, LLC v. Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
- Abdus-Shahid M. S. Ali v. Federal Bureau of Prisons
- James Larue v. Dewolff
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- Meadwestvaco Corporation v. Illinois Department of Revenue
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