Great Western Sugar Co. v. Nelson
442 U.S. 92 · Decided May 29, 1979 · 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
Great Western Sugar Co. v. Nelson was decided on May 29, 1979 by a vote of 8–1. The Court vacated 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 “Mootness” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 442 U.S. 92 · 99 S. Ct. 2149 · 60 L. Ed. 2d 735 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 119
- Docket number
- 78-1060
- Decided
- May 29, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Mootness
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative 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 | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Great Western Sugar Co. v. Nelson
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-103, docket 1978-103-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Mootness”
- Crowell v. Mader
- Vitek v. Jones
- University of Texas v. Camenisch
- Kremens v. Bartley
- Environmental Protection Agency v. Brown
- Scott v. Kentucky Parole Board
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Long Island Rail Road Co. v. Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad Co.
- Carey v. Wynn
- Union Pacific Railroad Co. v. Sheehan
- Hunter v. Dean
- Mobay Chemical Corp. v. Costle
- Parklane Hosiery Co., Inc. v. Shore
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