Philip Brendale v. Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Indian Nation
492 U.S. 408 · Decided June 29, 1989 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Philip Brendale v. Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Indian Nation was decided on June 29, 1989 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indians, state jurisdiction” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 492 U.S. 408 · 109 S. Ct. 2994 · 106 L. Ed. 2d 343 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 3288
- Docket number
- 87-1622
- Decided
- June 29, 1989
- Argued
- January 10, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians, state jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 12 Stat. 951
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Dissent |
Full case caption
Philip Brendale v. Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Indian Nation et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-148, docket 1988-148-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians, state jurisdiction”
- Cotton Petroleum Corp. v. New Mexico
- Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield
- Oklahoma Tax Commission v. Citizen Band Potawatomi Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
- California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
- County of Yakima v. Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Indian Nation
- Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation v. Wold Engineering, P. C.
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Town of Huntington v. Huntington Branch
- Penson v. Ohio
- Pittston Coal Group v. Sebben
- Owens v. Okure
- City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson CompanyLaw held unconstitutional
- In re McDonald
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