Perkins v. Matthews
400 U.S. 379 · Decided January 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
Perkins v. Matthews was decided on January 14, 1971 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 400 U.S. 379 · 91 S. Ct. 431 · 27 L. Ed. 2d 476 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 93
- Docket number
- 46
- Decided
- January 14, 1971
- Argued
- October 20, 1970
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Perkins et al. v. Matthews, Mayor of the City of Canton, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1970-021, docket 1970-021-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments”
- Gaston County v. United States
- Hadnott v. Amos
- Allen v. State Board of Elections
- Georgia v. United States
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. New York
- Connor v. Waller
Cases on the same legal provision: Voting Rights Act of 1965
- East Carroll Parish School Board v. Marshall
- Joan Growe v. James Emison
- George Voinovich v. Barney Quilter
- Rick Perry v. Shannon Perez
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Oregon v. MitchellLaw held unconstitutional
- Kennerly v. District Court of the Ninth Judicial District of Montana
- Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp.
- Relford v. Commandant, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Ft. Leavenworth
- Boddie v. ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
- Tate v. ShortLaw held unconstitutional
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