Sun Oil Co. v. Wortman
486 U.S. 717 · Decided June 15, 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
Sun Oil Co. v. Wortman was decided on June 15, 1988 by a vote of 6–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, jurisdiction over nonresidents” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 486 U.S. 717 · 108 S. Ct. 2117 · 100 L. Ed. 2d 743 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 2723
- Docket number
- 87-352
- Decided
- June 15, 1988
- Argued
- March 22, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- Antonin Scalia
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, jurisdiction over nonresidents
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Article IV, Section 1 (full faith and credit clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Anthony M. Kennedy.
Full case caption
Sun Oil Co. v. Wortman et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-117, docket 1987-117-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, jurisdiction over nonresidents”
- Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft v. Schlunk
- Bendix Autolite Corp. v. Midwesco Enterprises, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Omni Capital International, Ltd. v. Rudolf Wolff & Co., Ltd.
- Asahi Metal Industry Co., Ltd. v. Superior Court of California
- Burnham v. Superior Court of California
- Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Shutts
Cases on the same legal provision: Article IV, Section 1 (full faith and credit clause)
- Underwriters National Assurance Co. v. North Carolina Life & Accident & Health Insurance Guaranty Assn.
- Thomas v. Washington Gas Light Co.Altered precedent
- Kenneth Lee Baker and Steven Robert Baker v. General Motors Corporation
- Franchise Tax Board of California v. Gilbert P. Hyatt
- Watkins v. Conway
- Simons v. Miami Beach First National Bank
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Omni Capital International, Ltd. v. Rudolf Wolff & Co., Ltd.
- Richard Pennell and Tri-County Apartment House Owners Association v. City of San Jose and City Council of San Jose
- R. 'roy' Peralta v. Heights Medical Center, Inc.
- Tulsa Professional Collection Services, Inc. v. Joanne PopeLaw held unconstitutional
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation v. Mallen
- Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft v. Schlunk
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