Smith v. Butler
366 U.S. 161 · Decided April 24, 1961 · 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
Smith v. Butler was decided on April 24, 1961 by a vote of 5–4. SCDB codes the disposition as “petition denied or appeal dismissed.” The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Sufficiency of evidence in injury or death compensation” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 366 U.S. 161 · 81 S. Ct. 937 · 6 L. Ed. 2d 184 · 1961 U.S. LEXIS 2027
- Docket number
- 313
- Decided
- April 24, 1961
- Argued
- March 27, 1961
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Petition denied or appeal dismissed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Opinion assigned by
- Felix Frankfurter
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Federal Employers' Liability Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Dissent | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Dissent | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority |
Full case caption
Smith v. Butler et Al., Trustees
SCDB identifiers: case 1960-083, docket 1960-083-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Sufficiency of evidence in injury or death compensation”
- Maynard v. Durham & Southern Railway Co.
- New York v. Henagan
- Michalic v. Cleveland Tankers, Inc.
- Atlantic & Gulf Stevedores, Inc. v. Ellerman Lines, Ltd.
- Ward v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co.
- Salem v. United States Lines Co.
Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Employers' Liability Act
- Still v. Norfolk & Western Railway Co.
- Dennis v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co.
- Sinkler v. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
- Gillespie v. United States Steel Corp.
- Burnett v. New York Central Railroad Co.
- Southern Pacific Co. v. Gileo
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Michalic v. Cleveland Tankers, Inc.
- Waterman Steamship Corp. v. Dugan & McNamara, Inc.
- New York v. Henagan
- Thomas v. Virginia
- United States v. Mississippi Valley Generating Co.
- Lewis v. Manufacturers National Bank of Detroit
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