United States v. Seckinger
397 U.S. 203 · Decided March 9, 1970 · 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
United States v. Seckinger was decided on March 9, 1970 by a vote of 4–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Governmental liability” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 397 U.S. 203 · 90 S. Ct. 880 · 25 L. Ed. 2d 224 · 1970 U.S. LEXIS 85
- Docket number
- 395
- Decided
- March 9, 1970
- Argued
- January 14, 1970
- 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
- 4–3
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Hugo L. Black
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Governmental liability
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Federal Tort Claims Act or Alien Tort Statute
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent |
Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall.
Full case caption
United States v. Seckinger, Trading as M. O. Seckinger Co.
SCDB identifiers: case 1969-057, docket 1969-057-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Governmental liability”
- Affiliated Ute Citizens of Utah v. United States
- Laird v. Nelms
- Doe v. McMillan
- United States v. Mason
- Logue v. United States
- Scheuer v. Rhodes
Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Tort Claims Act or Alien Tort Statute
- Richards v. United States
- United States v. Brown
- United States v. Hohri
- Gardner v. Panama Railroad Co.
- Hubsch v. United States
- William McNeil v. United States
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Simpson v. Union Oil Co. of California
- Anderson's-Black Rock, Inc. v. Pavement Salvage Co., Inc.
- Zuber v. Allen
- Nacirema Operating Co., Inc. v. Johnson
- United States v. Interstate Commerce Commission
- Pike v. Bruce Church, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
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