Thomas Young v. Kirk Fordice
520 U.S. 273 · Decided March 31, 1997 · 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
Thomas Young v. Kirk Fordice was decided on March 31, 1997 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 520 U.S. 273 · 117 S. Ct. 1228 · 137 L. Ed. 2d 448 · 1997 U.S. LEXIS 2076
- Docket number
- 95-2031
- Decided
- March 31, 1997
- Argued
- January 6, 1997
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Stephen G. Breyer
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Thomas Young, et al. v. Kirk Fordice et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1996-041, docket 1996-041-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments”
- Janet Reno v. Bossier Parish School Board
- Lucious Abrams, Jr., G. L. Avery v. Davida Johnson
- B. C. Foreman v. Dallas County
- Vicky M. Lopez v. Monterey County
- City of Monroe v. United States
- Fortis Morse v. Republican Party of Virginia
Cases on the same legal provision: Voting Rights Act of 1965
- George Voinovich v. Barney Quilter
- Joan Growe v. James Emison
- Rick Perry v. Shannon Perez
- East Carroll Parish School Board v. Marshall
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- United States Department of State v. Legal Assistance for Vietnamese Asylum Seekers, Inc.
- Vicky M. Lopez v. Monterey County
- Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Yueh-Shaio Yang
- In re Maria Luisa Costell Gaydos
- M. L. B. v. S. L. J.Law held unconstitutional
- Darlene Walters v. Metropolitan Educational Enterprises, Inc.
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