Massachusetts v. Westcott
431 U.S. 322 · Decided May 23, 1977 · 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
Massachusetts v. Westcott was decided on May 23, 1977 unanimously (9–0). The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 431 U.S. 322 · 97 S. Ct. 1755 · 52 L. Ed. 2d 349 · 1977 U.S. LEXIS 93
- Docket number
- 75-1775
- Decided
- May 23, 1977
- Argued
- January 17, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- 46 U.S.C. § 251
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | 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 | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Massachusetts v. Westcott
SCDB identifiers: case 1976-111, docket 1976-111-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- Douglas v. Seacoast Products, Inc.
- Jones v. Rath Packing Co.
- Malone v. White Motor Corp.
- Aronson v. Quick Point Pencil Co.
- New York Telephone Co. v. New York State Department of Labor
- Beasley v. Food Fair of North Carolina, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Oregon ex Rel. State Land Board v. Corvallis Sand & Gravel Co.Altered precedent
- United States v. County of Fresno
- United States v. Florida
- Farmer v. United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America
- Jones v. Rath Packing Co.
- Douglas v. Seacoast Products, Inc.
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