Pittston Coal Group v. Sebben
488 U.S. 105 · Decided December 6, 1988 · 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
Pittston Coal Group v. Sebben was decided on December 6, 1988 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Rights of handicapped persons” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 488 U.S. 105 · 109 S. Ct. 414 · 102 L. Ed. 2d 408 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 5533
- Docket number
- 87-821
- Decided
- December 6, 1988
- Argued
- October 3, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Antonin Scalia
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Rights of handicapped persons
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 30 U.S.C. § 902
- 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Pittston Coal Group, et al. v. Sebben, James, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-009, docket 1988-009-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Rights of handicapped persons”
- Dellmuth v. Muth
- Honig v. Doe
- School Board of Nassau County v. Arline
- United States Department of Transportation v. Paralyzed Veterans of America
- Bowen v. American Hospital Association
- Bowen v. City of New York
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Town of Huntington v. Huntington Branch
- Penson v. Ohio
- Owens v. Okure
- City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson CompanyLaw held unconstitutional
- In re McDonald
- Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services
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