Harbor Tug and Barge Company v. John Papai et Ux.
520 U.S. 548 · Decided May 12, 1997 · 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
Harbor Tug and Barge Company v. John Papai et Ux. was decided on May 12, 1997 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Liability, miscellaneous” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 520 U.S. 548 · 117 S. Ct. 1535 · 137 L. Ed. 2d 800 · 1997 U.S. LEXIS 2846
- Docket number
- 95-1621
- Decided
- May 12, 1997
- Argued
- January 13, 1997
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Anthony M. Kennedy
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Liability, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Jones Act or Death on the High Seas Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Dissent |
Full case caption
Harbor Tug and Barge Company v. John Papai et Ux.
SCDB identifiers: case 1996-054, docket 1996-054-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: Jones Act or Death on the High Seas Act
- American Dredging Company v. William Robert Miller
- Mercedel W. Miles v. Apex Marine Corporation
- Atlantic Sounding Co., Inc. v. Edgar L. Townsend
- Donovan v. Penn Shipping Co., Inc.
- Hellenic Lines Ltd. v. Rhoditis
- Tipton v. Socony Mobil Oil Co., Inc.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- John W. Atherton, Jr. v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc. v. Director
- General Motors Corporation v. Roger W. Tracy
- Regents of the University of California v. John Doe Etc.
- William C. Dunn and Delta Consultants, Inc. v. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Warner-Jenkinson Company, Inc. v. Hilton Davis Chemical Co.
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