Harbison-Walker Refractories v. Brieck
488 U.S. 226 · Decided December 12, 1988 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Harbison-Walker Refractories v. Brieck was decided on December 12, 1988 unanimously (9–0). SCDB codes the disposition as “petition denied or appeal dismissed.” The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “No merits, writ improvidently granted” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 488 U.S. 226 · 109 S. Ct. 546 · 102 L. Ed. 2d 512 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 5616
- Docket number
- 87-271
- Decided
- December 12, 1988
- Argued
- October 31, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Petition denied or appeal dismissed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- No merits, writ improvidently granted
- 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 Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Harbison-Walker Refractories, a Division of Dresser Industries, Inc., Pettioner v. Brieck, Eugene F.
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-014, docket 1988-014-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “No merits, writ improvidently granted”
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- James M. White, Etc. v. United States
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- John R. Van Drasek v. James H. Webb, Jr.
- United States v. Merchant
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Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- McNamara v. County of San Diego Department of Social Services
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- Bowen v. Georgetown University Hospital
- Argentine Republic v. Amerada Hess Shipping Corp.
- Mark H. Oring v. State Bar of California
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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