Attorney General of New York v. Soto-Lopez
476 U.S. 898 · Decided June 16, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Attorney General of New York v. Soto-Lopez was decided on June 16, 1986 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Residency requirements” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 476 U.S. 898 · 106 S. Ct. 2317 · 90 L. Ed. 2d 899 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 59
- Docket number
- 84-1803
- Decided
- June 16, 1986
- Argued
- January 15, 1986
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Residency requirements
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| 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 | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Attorney General of New York v. Soto-Lopez et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-111, docket 1985-111-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Residency requirements”
- Hooper v. Bernalillo County AssessorLaw held unconstitutional
- Frazier v. Heebe
- Supreme Court of New Hampshire v. PiperLaw held unconstitutional
- Supreme Court of Virginia v. FriedmanLaw held unconstitutional
- United Building & Construction Trades Council of Camden County and Vicinity v. Mayor and Council of the City of Camden
- Barnard v. ThorstennLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Reed v. Campbell
- Davis v. Bandemer
- Posadas de Puerto Rico Associates v. Tourism Company of Puerto Rico
- Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education
- Batson v. KentuckyAltered precedent
- United States v. Paradise
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
- Green v. Mansour
- Vasquez v. Hillery
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Malley v. Briggs
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