Imbler v. Pachtman
424 U.S. 409 · Decided March 2, 1976 · 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
Imbler v. Pachtman was decided on March 2, 1976 unanimously (8–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Liability under civil rights acts” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 424 U.S. 409 · 96 S. Ct. 984 · 47 L. Ed. 2d 128 · 1976 U.S. LEXIS 25
- Docket number
- 74-5435
- Decided
- March 2, 1976
- Argued
- November 3, 1975
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Liability under civil rights acts
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Did not participate: John Paul Stevens.
Full case caption
Imbler v. Pachtman, District Attorney
SCDB identifiers: case 1975-040, docket 1975-040-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Liability under civil rights acts”
- Paul v. Davis
- Wood v. Strickland
- Procunier v. Navarette
- Carey v. Piphus
- Stump v. Sparkman et Vir
- Flagg Bros., Inc. v. Brooks
Cases on the same legal provision: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Rizzo v. Goode
- Examining Board of Engineers v. Flores de OteroLaw held unconstitutional
- Aldinger v. Howard
- Robertson v. Wegmann
- City of Kenosha v. Bruno
- Preiser v. Rodriguez
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Turner v. Department of Employment Security of UtahLaw held unconstitutional
- Mathews v. Eldridge
- De Canas v. Bica
- Fisher v. District Court of the Sixteenth Judicial District of Montana
- Lavine v. Milne
- East Carroll Parish School Board v. Marshall
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