Department of the Navy v. Egan
484 U.S. 518 · Decided February 23, 1988 · 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 the Navy v. Egan was decided on February 23, 1988 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Security risk dismissals or benefit denials” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 484 U.S. 518 · 108 S. Ct. 818 · 98 L. Ed. 2d 918 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 936
- Docket number
- 86-1552
- Decided
- February 23, 1988
- Argued
- December 2, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Security risk dismissals or benefit denials
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- 5 U.S.C. § 7511
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Did not participate: Anthony M. Kennedy.
Full case caption
Department of the Navy v. Egan
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-030, docket 1987-030-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Security risk dismissals or benefit denials”
- Webster v. Doe
- Carlucci v. Doe
- Kreznar v. United States.
- Greene v. United States
- Nostrand v. Little
- Cafeteria & Restaurant Workers Union v. McElroy
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
- Hustler Magazine and Larry C. Flynt v. Jerry Falwell
- Michael Boos, J. Michael Waller and Bridget Brooker v. Marion S. Barry, Jr.Law held unconstitutional
- Richard E. Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association
- Employment Division v. Smith
- Meyer v. GrantLaw 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