Kelly v. Robinson
479 U.S. 36 · Decided November 12, 1986 · 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
Kelly v. Robinson was decided on November 12, 1986 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Bankruptcy” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 479 U.S. 36 · 107 S. Ct. 353 · 93 L. Ed. 2d 216 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 17
- Docket number
- 85-1033
- Decided
- November 12, 1986
- Argued
- October 8, 1986
- 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
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Bankruptcy
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Bankruptcy Code or Bankruptcy Act
- 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Full case caption
Kelly, Connecticut Chief State's Attorney, et al. v. Robinson
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-004, docket 1986-004-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: Bankruptcy Code or Bankruptcy Act
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- National Labor Relations Board v. Bildisco & Bildisco
- Harry P. Begier, Jr., Etc. v. Internal Revenue Service
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Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Cargill, Inc. v. Monfort of Colorado, Inc.
- R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Durham County
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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