Hickman v. Taylor
329 U.S. 495 · Decided January 13, 1947 · 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
Hickman v. Taylor was decided on January 13, 1947 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Frank Murphy wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Freedom of Information Act and related laws” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 329 U.S. 495 · 67 S. Ct. 385 · 91 L. Ed. 451 · 1947 U.S. LEXIS 2966
- Docket number
- 47
- Decided
- January 13, 1947
- Argued
- November 13, 1946
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Frank Murphy
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Freedom of Information Act and related laws
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure
- Type of law
- Court rules
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Special concurrence | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Frank Murphy | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Wiley B. Rutledge | Majority | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority |
Full case caption
Hickman, Administrator, v. Taylor et Al., Trading as Taylor & Anderson Towing & Lighterage Co., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1946-035, docket 1946-035-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Freedom of Information Act and related laws”
- United States ex Rel. Touhy v. Ragen
- United States v. Reynolds
- St. Regis Paper Co. v. United States
- Environmental Protection Agency v. Mink
- Renegotiation Board v. Bannercraft Clothing Co., Inc.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Sears
Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure
- Jesionowski v. Boston & Maine Railroad
- Anderson v. Yungkau
- Cone v. West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co.
- Koster v. (American) Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Co.
- Land v. Dollar
- Fleming v. Mohawk Wrecking & Lumber 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