Fort Halifax Packing Co., Inc. v. Coyne
482 U.S. 1 · Decided June 1, 1987 · 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
Fort Halifax Packing Co., Inc. v. Coyne was decided on June 1, 1987 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. 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
- 482 U.S. 1 · 107 S. Ct. 2211 · 96 L. Ed. 2d 1 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 2363
- Docket number
- 86-341
- Decided
- June 1, 1987
- Argued
- March 24, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent |
Full case caption
Fort Halifax Packing Co., Inc. v. Coyne, Director, Bureau of Labor Standards of Maine, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-107, docket 1986-107-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- Perry v. Thomas
- International Paper Co. v. Ouellette
- Eric J. Schneidewind v. Anr Pipeline Company and Anr Storage Company
- Puerto Rico Department of Consumer Affairs v. Isla Petroleum Corporation
- Baker v. General Motors Corp.
- Wardair Canada Inc. v. Florida Department of Revenue
Cases on the same legal provision: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Pilot Life Insurance Co. v. Dedeaux
- Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. v. Taylor
- Laborers Health and Welfare Trust Fund for Northern California v. Advanced Lightweight Concrete Co., Inc.
- Connolly v. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
- Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Bruch
- Massachusetts v. Morash
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Rose v. Arkansas State PoliceLaw held unconstitutional
- West Virginia v. United States
- International Paper Co. v. Ouellette
- Pilot Life Insurance Co. v. Dedeaux
- Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. v. Taylor
- Rose v. Rose
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