Frank Ricci v. John Destefano
557 U.S. 557 · Decided June 29, 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
Frank Ricci v. John Destefano was decided on June 29, 2009 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Affirmative action” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 557 U.S. 557 · 129 S. Ct. 2658 · 174 L. Ed. 2d 490 · 2009 U.S. LEXIS 4945
- Docket number
- 07-1428
- Decided
- June 29, 2009
- Argued
- April 22, 2009
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Anthony M. Kennedy
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Affirmative action
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Concurrence | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Frank Ricci, et al. v. John Destefano et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2008-083, docket 2008-083-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Affirmative action”
- Abigail Noel Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin
- Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action
- Jennifer Gratz and Patrick Hamacher v. Lee Bollinger
- Barbara Grutter v. Lee Bollinger
- Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin
- Texas v. Francois Daniel Lesage and United States
Cases on the same legal provision: Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- AT&T Corporation v. Noreen Hulteen
- Vicky S. Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
- Arthur L. Lewis, Jr. v. City of Chicago
- Eric L. Thompson v. North American Stainless, Lp
- Lilly M. Ledbetter v. the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Inc.
- Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Company v. Sheila White
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Jennifer Brunner v. Ohio Republican Party
- Cordell Pearson v. Afton CallahanAltered precedent
- Lisa Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Committee
- Vicky S. Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
- John Van de Kamp v. Thomas Lee Goldstein
- Donald L. Carcieri v. Ken L. Salazar
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