Lyng v. Castillo

477 U.S. 635 · Decided June 27, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Lyng v. Castillo was decided on June 27, 1986 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Poverty law, constitutional” in the Civil Rights area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Lyng, Secretary of Agriculture v. Castillo et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1985-139, docket 1985-139-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Poverty law, constitutional”

• Bowen v. Owens
  476 U.S. 340Decided May 19, 19866–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Green v. Mansour
  474 U.S. 64Decided December 3, 19855–4William H. Rehnquist
• Bowen v. Gilliard
  483 U.S. 587Decided June 25, 19876–3John Paul Stevens
• Richard A. Lyng v. International Union
  485 U.S. 360Decided March 23, 19885–3Byron R. White
• Kadrmas v. Dickinson Public Schools
  487 U.S. 450Decided June 24, 19885–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Blum v. Yaretsky
  457 U.S. 991Decided June 25, 19827–2William H. Rehnquist

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Fifth Amendment (equal protection)

• Hobby v. United States
  468 U.S. 339Decided July 2, 19846–3Warren E. Burger
• Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission
  497 U.S. 547Decided June 27, 19905–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Thaddeus Donald Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co., Inc.
  500 U.S. 614Decided June 3, 19916–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• Califano v. Boles
  443 U.S. 282Decided June 27, 19795–4William H. Rehnquist
• Davis v. Passman
  442 U.S. 228Decided June 5, 19795–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Vance v. Bradley
  440 U.S. 93Decided February 22, 19798–1Byron R. White

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
  474 U.S. 9Decided November 4, 19855–4Per curiam
• Green v. Mansour
  474 U.S. 64Decided December 3, 19855–4William H. Rehnquist
• Vasquez v. Hillery
  474 U.S. 254Decided January 14, 19866–3Thurgood Marshall
• Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
  474 U.S. 327Decided January 21, 19869–0William H. Rehnquist
• Davidson v. Cannon
  474 U.S. 344Decided January 21, 19866–3William H. Rehnquist
• Malley v. Briggs
  475 U.S. 335Decided March 5, 19867–2Byron R. White

See all

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