Mattz v. Arnett
412 U.S. 481 · Decided June 11, 1973 · 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
Mattz v. Arnett was decided on June 11, 1973 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indians, state jurisdiction” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 412 U.S. 481 · 93 S. Ct. 2245 · 37 L. Ed. 2d 92 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 57
- Docket number
- 71-1182
- Decided
- June 11, 1973
- Argued
- March 27, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians, state jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 27 Stat. 52
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Mattz v. Arnett, Director, Department of Fish and Game
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-139, docket 1972-139-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians, state jurisdiction”
- Tonasket v. Washington
- Mescalero Apache Tribe v. JonesLaw held unconstitutional
- McClanahan v. Arizona State Tax CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
- Department of Game of Washington v. Puyallup Tribe
- Oneida Indian Nation of New York v. County of Oneida
- Antoine et Ux. v. Washington
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Philpott v. Essex County Welfare BoardLaw held unconstitutional
- District of Columbia v. Carter
- United States v. Kras
- Goosby v. Osser
- Gomez v. PerezLaw held unconstitutional
- Mahan v. HowellLaw held unconstitutional
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