South Carolina v. Catawba Indian Tribe, Inc.
476 U.S. 498 · Decided June 2, 1986 · 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
South Carolina v. Catawba Indian Tribe, Inc. was decided on June 2, 1986 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indians, state jurisdiction” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 476 U.S. 498 · 106 S. Ct. 2039 · 90 L. Ed. 2d 490 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 82
- Docket number
- 84-782
- Decided
- June 2, 1986
- Argued
- December 12, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians, state jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 25 U.S.C. § 931
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent |
Full case caption
South Carolina et al. v. Catawba Indian Tribe, Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-096, docket 1985-096-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians, state jurisdiction”
- Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation v. Wold Engineering, P. C.
- California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
- California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife v. Klamath Indian Tribe
- Montana v. Blackfeet Tribe of Indians
- County of Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York State
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
- Green v. Mansour
- Vasquez v. Hillery
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Malley v. Briggs
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