Montana v. Blackfeet Tribe of Indians
471 U.S. 759 · Decided June 3, 1985 · 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
Montana v. Blackfeet Tribe of Indians was decided on June 3, 1985 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 “Indians, state jurisdiction” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 471 U.S. 759 · 105 S. Ct. 2399 · 85 L. Ed. 2d 753 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 24
- Docket number
- 83-2161
- Decided
- June 3, 1985
- Argued
- January 15, 1985
- Reargued
- April 23, 1985
- 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
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians, state jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 25 U.S.C. § 396
- 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 Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Montana et al. v. Blackfeet Tribe of Indians
SCDB identifiers: case 1984-108, docket 1984-108-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians, state jurisdiction”
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife v. Klamath Indian Tribe
- County of Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York State
- California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
- South Carolina v. Catawba Indian Tribe, Inc.
- Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation v. Wold Engineering, P. C.
- Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation v. Wold Engineering, P. C.
Cases on the same legal provision: 25 U.S.C. § 396
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Thurston
- Alexander v. Choate
- Brandon v. Holt
- United States v. Dann
- Ake v. Oklahoma
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Hampton County Election Commission
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