Edward Jerome Harbison v. Ricky Bell
556 U.S. 180 · Decided April 1, 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
Edward Jerome Harbison v. Ricky Bell was decided on April 1, 2009 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 556 U.S. 180 · 129 S. Ct. 1481 · 173 L. Ed. 2d 347 · 2009 U.S. LEXIS 2496
- Docket number
- 07-8521
- Decided
- April 1, 2009
- Argued
- January 12, 2009
- 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
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- 18-3599
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Dissent |
Full case caption
Edward Jerome Harbison v. Ricky Bell, Warden
SCDB identifiers: case 2008-039, docket 2008-039-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- Betty E. Vaden v. Discover Bank
- Wyeth v. Diana Levine
- Andrew M. Cuomo v. the Clearing House Association, L. L. C.
- Altria Group, Inc. v. Stephanie Good
- Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Brown
- G. Steven Rowe v. New Hampshire Motor Transport Association
Cases on the same legal provision: 18-3599
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Altria Group, Inc. v. Stephanie Good
- Wyeth v. Diana Levine
- Betty E. Vaden v. Discover Bank
- Andrew M. Cuomo v. the Clearing House Association, L. L. C.
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