Washington v. Washington State Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel Association
443 U.S. 658 · Decided July 2, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Washington v. Washington State Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel Association was decided on July 2, 1979 by a vote of 6–3. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indians, state jurisdiction” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 443 U.S. 658 · 99 S. Ct. 3055 · 61 L. Ed. 2d 823 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 43
- Docket number
- 77-983
- Decided
- July 2, 1979
- Argued
- February 28, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians, state jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 12 Stat. 927
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Washington et al. v. Washington State Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel Association et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-159, docket 1978-159-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians, state jurisdiction”
- Wilson v. Omaha Indian Tribe
- Washington v. Confederated Bands and Tribes of the Yakima Indian Nation
- United States v. Clarke
- Washington v. Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation
- White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker
- Central Machinery Co. v. Arizona State Tax Commission
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
- Dougherty County v. White
- Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
- Califano v. Aznavorian
- Lalli v. Lalli
- Duren v. MissouriAltered precedentLaw 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