Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife v. Klamath Indian Tribe
473 U.S. 753 · Decided July 2, 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
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife v. Klamath Indian Tribe was decided on July 2, 1985 by a vote of 6–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens 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
- 473 U.S. 753 · 105 S. Ct. 3420 · 87 L. Ed. 2d 542 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 132
- Docket number
- 83-2148
- Decided
- July 2, 1985
- Argued
- February 27, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians, state jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 16 Stat. 707
- 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 | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..
Full case caption
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife et al. v. Klamath Indian Tribe
SCDB identifiers: case 1984-167, docket 1984-167-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians, state jurisdiction”
- Montana v. Blackfeet Tribe of Indians
- 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.
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