Sears v. County of Los Angeles
449 U.S. 1119 · Decided January 26, 1981 · 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
Sears v. County of Los Angeles was decided on January 26, 1981 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 449 U.S. 1119 · 101 S. Ct. 933 · 67 L. Ed. 2d 106 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 590
- Docket number
- 78-1577
- Decided
- January 26, 1981
- Argued
- January 15, 1980
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: Potter Stewart.
Full case caption
Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. County of Los Angeles
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-153, docket 1980-153-01.
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