North Carolina v. Rice
404 U.S. 244 · Decided December 14, 1971 · 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
North Carolina v. Rice was decided on December 14, 1971 by a vote of 6–1. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Mootness” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 404 U.S. 244 · 92 S. Ct. 402 · 30 L. Ed. 2d 413 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 5
- Docket number
- 70-77
- Decided
- December 14, 1971
- Argued
- October 12, 1971
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–1
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Mootness
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority |
Full case caption
North Carolina v. Rice
SCDB identifiers: case 1971-023, docket 1971-023-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Mootness”
- Securities and Exchange Commission v. Medical Committee for Human Rights
- Diffenderfer v. Central Baptist Church of Miami
- Bradley v. United States
- Aikens v. California
- Durham v. United States
- Sanks v. Georgia
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Hicks v. Pleasure House, Inc.
- Slayton v. Smith
- Securities and Exchange Commission v. Medical Committee for Human Rights
- Diffenderfer v. Central Baptist Church of Miami
- Board of Regents of the University of Texas System v. New Left Education Project
- United States v. Christian Echoes National Ministry, Inc.
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