Morris v. Gressette
432 U.S. 491 · Decided June 20, 1977 · 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
Morris v. Gressette was decided on June 20, 1977 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 “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 432 U.S. 491 · 97 S. Ct. 2411 · 53 L. Ed. 2d 506 · 1977 U.S. LEXIS 130
- Docket number
- 75-1583
- Decided
- June 20, 1977
- Argued
- April 18, 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
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Morris et al. v. Gressette, President Pro Tem, South Carolina Senate, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1976-156, docket 1976-156-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments”
- Briscoe v. Bell
- United States v. Board of Supervisors of Warren County
- United States v. Board of Commissioners of Sheffield
- Berry v. Doles
- Beer v. United States
- Dougherty County v. White
Cases on the same legal provision: Voting Rights Act of 1965
- East Carroll Parish School Board v. Marshall
- Joan Growe v. James Emison
- George Voinovich v. Barney Quilter
- Rick Perry v. Shannon Perez
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Bagamasbad
- General Electric Co. v. Gilbert
- Mathews v. de Castro
- Craig v. BorenAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- International Union of Electrical v. Robbins & Myers, Inc.
- Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp.
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