General Atomic Co. v. Felter
434 U.S. 12 · Decided October 31, 1977 · 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
General Atomic Co. v. Felter was decided on October 31, 1977 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “National supremacy, miscellaneous” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 434 U.S. 12 · 98 S. Ct. 76 · 54 L. Ed. 2d 199 · 1977 U.S. LEXIS 152
- Docket number
- 76-1640
- Decided
- October 31, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- National supremacy, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- Article VI, Section 2 (supremacy clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Jurisdictional dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
General Atomic Co. v. Felter, Judge, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-004, docket 1977-004-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “National supremacy, miscellaneous”
- Ray v. Atlantic Richfield Co.
- Fry v. United States
- Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. HaldermanAltered precedent
- Lawrence County v. Lead-Deadwood School District No. 40-1Law held unconstitutional
- Atascadero State Hospital v. Scanlon
- Rose v. Arkansas State PoliceLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Article VI, Section 2 (supremacy clause)
- Ohio Bureau of Employment Services v. Hodory
- United States v. County of Fresno
- De Canas v. Bica
- Antoine et Ux. v. Washington
- United States v. New Mexico
- Blum v. BaconLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- United States Steel Corp. v. Multistate Tax Commission
- Ray v. Atlantic Richfield Co.
- Massachusetts v. United States
- Malone v. White Motor Corp.
- United States v. California
- Sears v. San Diego County District Council of Carpenters
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