Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Thompson
478 U.S. 804 · Decided July 7, 1986 · 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
Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Thompson was decided on July 7, 1986 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal question jurisdiction” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 478 U.S. 804 · 106 S. Ct. 3229 · 92 L. Ed. 2d 650 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 143
- Docket number
- 85-619
- Decided
- July 7, 1986
- Argued
- April 28, 1986
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Federal question jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. § 1331
- 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. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Thompson et Al., as Next Friends and Guardians of Thompson et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-164, docket 1985-164-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. § 1331
- National Farmers Union Insurance Cos. v. Crow Tribe of Indians
- K Mart Corporation v. Cartier, Inc.
- Oklahoma Tax Commission v. Graham
- Jerome B. Grubart, Inc. v. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company
- Oneida Indian Nation of New York v. County of Oneida
- Ruhrgas Ag v. Marathon Oil Company
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Pennsylvania Bureau of Correction v. United States Marshals Service
- Lake Coal Co., Inc. v. Roberts & Schaefer Co.
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. Dimension Financial Corp.
- Parsons Steel, Inc. v. First Alabama Bank
- United States v. Koecher
- Paulussen v. Herion
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