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City of Arlington v. Federal Communications Commission

569 U.S. 290 · Decided May 20, 2013 · 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

City of Arlington v. Federal Communications Commission was decided on May 20, 2013 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Judicial review of agency actions” in the Judicial Power area.

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Case details

Citations
569 U.S. 290 · 133 S. Ct. 1863 · 185 L. Ed. 2d 941 · 2013 U.S. LEXIS 3838
Docket number
11-1545
Decided
May 20, 2013
Argued
January 16, 2013
Court era
Roberts Court
Decision type
Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
Disposition
Affirmed
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
Vote
6–3
Majority opinion
Antonin Scalia
Opinion assigned by
Antonin Scalia
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Issue area
Judicial Power
Legal provision
Communications Act of 1934
Type of law
Federal statute
Decision direction (SCDB)
Conservative what this means

How the Justices voted

JusticeVoteSeparate writing
Justice Antonin ScaliaMajorityWrote an opinion
Justice Anthony M. KennedyDissent
Justice Clarence ThomasMajority
Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgMajority
Justice Stephen G. BreyerSpecial concurrenceWrote an opinion
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.DissentWrote an opinion
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.Dissent
Justice Sonia SotomayorMajority
Justice Elena KaganMajority

Full case caption

City of Arlington, Texas, et Al., Petitioners v. Federal Communications Commission et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 2012-044, docket 2012-044-01.

Other cases on “Judicial review of agency actions”

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Cases on the same legal provision: Communications Act of 1934

Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)

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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