Leo Sheep Co. v. United States
440 U.S. 668 · Decided March 27, 1979 · 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
Leo Sheep Co. v. United States was decided on March 27, 1979 unanimously (8–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, takings clause” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 440 U.S. 668 · 99 S. Ct. 1403 · 59 L. Ed. 2d 677 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 81
- Docket number
- 77-1686
- Decided
- March 27, 1979
- Argued
- January 15, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, takings clause
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- 12 Stat. 489
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Did not participate: Byron R. White.
Full case caption
Leo Sheep Co. et al. v. United States et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-066, docket 1978-066-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, takings clause”
- United States v. Bodcaw Co.
- United States v. 564.54 Acres of Land
- Andrus v. Allard
- Kaiser Aetna v. United States
- Vaughn v. Vermilion Corp.
- Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City
Cases on the same legal provision: 12 Stat. 489
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- New Motor Vehicle Board of California v. Orrin W. Fox Co.
- Leis v. Flynt
- United States v. Bodcaw Co.
- Addington v. Texas
- United States v. 564.54 Acres of Land
- Bell v. Wolfish
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