Owen v. City of Independence
445 U.S. 622 · Decided April 16, 1980 · 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
Owen v. City of Independence was decided on April 16, 1980 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Liability under civil rights acts” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 445 U.S. 622 · 100 S. Ct. 1398 · 63 L. Ed. 2d 673 · 1980 U.S. LEXIS 14
- Docket number
- 78-1779
- Decided
- April 16, 1980
- Argued
- January 8, 1980
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Liability under civil rights acts
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Owen v. City of Independence, Missouri, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1979-068, docket 1979-068-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Liability under civil rights acts”
- Gomez v. Toledo
- Supreme Court of Virginia v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.
- Maine v. Thiboutot et Vir.
- Martinez v. California
- Dennis v. Sparks
- Allen v. McCurry
Cases on the same legal provision: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Chardon v. Fernandez
- Fair Assessment in Real Estate Association, Inc. v. McNary
- Robertson v. Wegmann
- Patsy v. Board of Regents of the State of Florida
- Aldinger v. Howard
- Examining Board of Engineers v. Flores de OteroLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Board of Education of the City School District of New York v. Harris
- Vance v. Terrazas
- Martinez v. California
- California Brewers Assn. v. Bryant
- United States v. Clark
- United States v. Clarke
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