Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez
436 U.S. 49 · Decided May 15, 1978 · 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
Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez was decided on May 15, 1978 by a vote of 7–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indians (general)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 436 U.S. 49 · 98 S. Ct. 1670 · 56 L. Ed. 2d 106 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 8
- Docket number
- 76-682
- Decided
- May 15, 1978
- Argued
- November 29, 1977
- 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
- 7–1
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians (general)
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 25 U.S.C. § 1301
- 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 Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Did not participate: Harry A. Blackmun.
Full case caption
Santa Clara Pueblo et al. v. Martinez et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-079, docket 1977-079-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians (general)”
- United States v. Antelope
- Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Kneip
- Delaware Tribal Business Committee v. Weeks
- Northern Cheyenne Tribe v. Hollowbreast
- Andrus v. Glover Construction Co.
- United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Califano v. Jobst
- Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
- Nashville Gas Co. v. Satty
- Richmond Unified School District v. Berg
- United Air Lines, Inc. v. McMann
- Quilloin v. Walcott et Vir
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