Trafficante v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.
409 U.S. 205 · Decided December 7, 1972 · 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
Trafficante v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. was decided on December 7, 1972 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Standing, statutory” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 409 U.S. 205 · 93 S. Ct. 364 · 34 L. Ed. 2d 415 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 4
- Docket number
- 71-708
- Decided
- December 7, 1972
- Argued
- November 7, 1972
- 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
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William O. Douglas
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Standing, statutory
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Fair Housing Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Trafficante et al. v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-019, docket 1972-019-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Standing, statutory”
- Hardin v. Kentucky Utilities Co.
- Gladstone v. Village of Bellwood
- Havens Realty Corp. v. Coleman
- Jackson Transit Authority v. Local Division 1285
- L. Douglas Wilder v. Virginia Hospital Association
- Air Courier Conference of America v. American Postal Workers Union
Cases on the same legal provision: Fair Housing Act
- Curtis v. Loether
- Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc.
- Jones et Ux. v. Alfred H. Mayer Co.Altered precedent
- Town of Huntington v. Huntington Branch
- City of Edmonds v. Oxford House, Inc.
- David Meyer v. Emma Mary Ellen Holley
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Richardson v. Morris
- O'Brien v. Brown
- Illinois v. Michigan
- California v. Krivda
- Johnson v. New York State Education Department
- Tidewater Oil Co. v. United States
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