American Motorists Insurance Co. v. Starnes
425 U.S. 637 · Decided May 19, 1976 · 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
American Motorists Insurance Co. v. Starnes was decided on May 19, 1976 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Venue” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 425 U.S. 637 · 96 S. Ct. 1800 · 48 L. Ed. 2d 263 · 1976 U.S. LEXIS 53
- Docket number
- 74-1481
- Decided
- May 19, 1976
- Argued
- February 23, 1976
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Venue
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
American Motorists Insurance Co. v. Starnes
SCDB identifiers: case 1975-092, docket 1975-092-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Venue”
- Radzanower v. Touche Ross & Co.
- National Bank of North America v. Associates of Obstetrics and Female Surgery, Inc.
- Citizens & Southern National Bank v. Bougas
- Leroy v. Great Western United Corp.
- Stafford, U.S. Attorney v. Briggs
- Piper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- City of Charlotte v. Local 660
- City of New Orleans v. DukesAltered precedent
- Massachusetts Board of Retirement v. Murgia
- McCarthy v. Philadelphia Civil Service Commission
- Craig v. BorenAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp.
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Boehning v. Indiana State Employees Assn., Inc.
- Northern Indiana Public Service Co. v. Porter County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, Inc.
- Bray v. United States
- Weinstein v. Bradford
- Mathews v. Weber
- Dove v. United StatesAltered precedent
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