Ott v. Mississippi Valley Barge Line Co.
336 U.S. 169 · Decided February 7, 1949 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Ott v. Mississippi Valley Barge Line Co. was decided on February 7, 1949 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “State or local government tax” in the Economic Activity area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 336 U.S. 169 · 69 S. Ct. 432 · 93 L. Ed. 2d 585 · 1949 U.S. LEXIS 2971
- Docket number
- 244
- Decided
- February 7, 1949
- Argued
- January 5, 1949
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- William O. Douglas
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- State or local government tax
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Altered precedent
- Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Frank Murphy | Majority | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Dissent | |
| Justice Wiley B. Rutledge | Majority | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority |
Full case caption
Ott, Commissioner of Public Finance, et al. v. Mississippi Valley Barge Line Co. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1948-035, docket 1948-035-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “State or local government tax”
- Empresa Siderurgica, S. A. v. County of Merced
- Joy Oil Co., Ltd. v. State Tax Commission
- Wheeling Steel Corp. v. GlanderLaw held unconstitutional
- Interstate Oil Pipe Line Co. v. Stone
- Memphis Natural Gas Co. v. Stone
- Central Greyhound Lines, Inc. v. MealeyLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)
- California v. Zook
- Toomer v. WitsellLaw held unconstitutional
- Bob-Lo Excursion Co. v. Michigan
- United States v. Sullivan
- Dean Milk Co. v. City of MadisonLaw held unconstitutional
- Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co. v. Michigan Public Service Commission
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Mandel Brothers, Inc. v. Wallace
- Ford Motor Co. v. United States
- Eckenrode v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
- Kordel v. United States
- United States v. Urbuteit
- Grand River Dam Authority v. Grand-Hydro
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