Otis R. Bowen v. Kenneth Kizer
485 U.S. 386 · Decided March 23, 1988 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Otis R. Bowen v. Kenneth Kizer was decided on March 23, 1988 unanimously (8–0). 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
- 485 U.S. 386 · 108 S. Ct. 1200 · 99 L. Ed. 2d 402 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 1450
- Docket number
- 86-863
- Decided
- March 23, 1988
- Argued
- November 10, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Mootness
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Article III, Section 2, Paragraph 1 (case or controversy requirement)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative 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 | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Did not participate: Anthony M. Kennedy.
Full case caption
Otis R. Bowen, Secretary of Health and Human Services v. Kenneth Kizer, Director of California Department of Health Services, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-055, docket 1987-055-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Mootness”
- American Foreign Service Association v. Garfinkel
- Frank v. Minnesota Newspaper Association, Inc.
- Burke v. Barnes
- United States Department of the Treasury v. Galioto
- Gerald A. Lewis v. Continental Bank Corporation
- United States v. Koecher
Cases on the same legal provision: Article III, Section 2, Paragraph 1 (case or controversy requirement)
- Richard Pennell and Tri-County Apartment House Owners Association v. City of San Jose and City Council of San Jose
- New York State Club Association, Inc. v. City of New York
- Hodel v. IrvingLaw held unconstitutional
- Brock v. Roadway Express, Inc.
- Asarco Inc. v. Kadish
- International Union v. Brock
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. McCoy
- Karcher v. May
- National Labor Relations Board v. United Food & Commercial Workers Union
- Vermont v. Cox
- Thompson v. Thompson
- Deakins v. Monaghan
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