Memphis Light v. Craft
436 U.S. 1 · Decided May 1, 1978 · 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
Memphis Light v. Craft was decided on May 1, 1978 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, miscellaneous” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 436 U.S. 1 · 98 S. Ct. 1554 · 56 L. Ed. 2d 30 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 6
- Docket number
- 76-39
- Decided
- May 1, 1978
- Argued
- November 2, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- 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 | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division et al. v. Craft et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-076, docket 1977-076-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, miscellaneous”
- United States v. Grayson
- Patterson v. New York
- Addington v. Texas
- County Court of Ulster County v. Allen
- Usery v. Turner Elkhorn Mining Co.
- North v. Russell
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Kulko v. Superior Court of California in and for the City and County of San Francisco (Horn
- Flagg Bros., Inc. v. Brooks
- Taylor v. Kentucky
- Exxon Corp. v. Governor of Maryland
- Moorman Manufacturing Co. v. Bair
- Board of Curators of the University of Missouri v. Horowitz
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Board of Curators of the University of Missouri v. Horowitz
- Kulko v. Superior Court of California in and for the City and County of San Francisco (Horn
- United States v. Grayson
- Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City
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