Sveen v. Melin
138 S. Ct. 1815 · Decided June 11, 2018 · 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
Sveen v. Melin was decided on June 11, 2018 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Elena Kagan wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “State or local business regulation” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
- CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
- Supreme Court of the United States — slip opinions, October Term 2017
Case details
- Citations
- 138 S. Ct. 1815 · 201 L. Ed. 2d 180 · 2018 U.S. LEXIS 3503
- Docket number
- 16-1432
- Decided
- June 11, 2018
- Argued
- March 19, 2018
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- Elena Kagan
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- State or local business regulation
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Article I, Section 10, Paragraph 1 (contract clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Majority | |
| Justice Elena Kagan | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Neil M. Gorsuch | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Sveen v. Melin
SCDB identifiers: case 2017-063, docket 2017-063-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “State or local business regulation”
- Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. ThomasLaw held unconstitutional
- Vl v. El
- National Pork Producers Council v. Ross
- James Larue v. Dewolff
- United Haulers Association, Inc. v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority
- American Trucking Associations, Inc. and Usf Holland, Inc. v. Michigan Public Service Commission
Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 10, Paragraph 1 (contract clause)
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- District of Columbia v. Wesby
- Rubin v. Islamic Republic of Iran
- Digital Realty Trust v. Somers
- Merit Management Group, Lp v. Fti Consulting, Inc
- U.S. Bank National Association v. Village at Lakeridge
- Cyan v. Beaver County Employees Retirement Fund
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