Kesler v. Department of Public Safety of Utah
369 U.S. 153 · Decided March 26, 1962 · 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
Kesler v. Department of Public Safety of Utah was decided on March 26, 1962 by a vote of 5–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Felix Frankfurter wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Bankruptcy” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 369 U.S. 153 · 82 S. Ct. 807 · 7 L. Ed. 2d 641 · 1962 U.S. LEXIS 2220
- Docket number
- 14
- Decided
- March 26, 1962
- Argued
- October 10, 1961
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- Felix Frankfurter
- Opinion assigned by
- Felix Frankfurter
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Bankruptcy
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Article VI, Section 2 (supremacy clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Charles E. Whittaker.
Full case caption
Kesler v. Department of Public Safety of Utah
SCDB identifiers: case 1961-050, docket 1961-050-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Bankruptcy”
- Simonson v. Granquist
- Pearlman v. Reliance Insurance Co.
- Wolf v. Weinstein
- Lewis v. Manufacturers National Bank of Detroit
- Bruning v. United States
- King v. United States
Cases on the same legal provision: Article VI, Section 2 (supremacy clause)
- Free v. BlandLaw held unconstitutional
- Federal Land Bank of Wichita v. Board of County Commissioners of Kiowa CountyLaw held unconstitutional
- Moses Lake Homes, Inc. v. Grant County
- Florida Lime & Avocado Growers, Inc. v. Paul
- Sears v. Stiffel CompanyLaw held unconstitutional
- Compco Corporation v. Day-Brite Lighting, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Roper v. United States
- Martin v. Walton
- Still v. Norfolk & Western Railway Co.
- Interstate Commerce Commission v. J-T Transport Co., Inc.
- Federal Trade Commission v. Henry Broch & Co.
- United States v. Drum
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