Merrion v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe
455 U.S. 130 · Decided January 25, 1982 · 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
Merrion v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe was decided on January 25, 1982 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indians (general)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 455 U.S. 130 · 102 S. Ct. 894 · 71 L. Ed. 2d 21 · 1982 U.S. LEXIS 25
- Docket number
- 80-11
- Decided
- January 25, 1982
- Argued
- March 30, 1981
- Reargued
- November 4, 1981
- 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
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians (general)
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Merrion et Al., Dba Merrion & Bayless, et al. v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1981-036, docket 1981-036-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians (general)”
- United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians
- Andrus v. Glover Construction Co.
- Escondido Mutual Water Co. v. La Jolla Band of Mission Indians
- United States v. Dann
- Kerr-McGee Corp. v. Navajo Tribe of Indians
- Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Co. v. Pueblo of Santa Ana
Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)
- New England Power Co. v. New HampshireLaw held unconstitutional
- Edgar v. Mite Corp.Law held unconstitutional
- Sporhase v. Nebraska ex Rel. DouglasAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Commonwealth Edison Co. v. MontanaAltered precedent
- Western & Southern Life Insurance Co. v. State Board of Equalization of California
- Maryland v. LouisianaLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Chardon v. Fernandez
- Ralston v. Robinson
- Polk County v. Dodson
- Blanding v. Dubose
- Cabell v. Chavez-Salido
- Herweg et Vir v. Ray
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