Desert Palace, Inc. v. Catharina F. Costa
539 U.S. 90 · Decided June 9, 2003 · 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
Desert Palace, Inc. v. Catharina F. Costa was decided on June 9, 2003 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Sex discrimination in employment” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 539 U.S. 90 · 123 S. Ct. 2148 · 156 L. Ed. 2d 84 · 2003 U.S. LEXIS 4422
- Docket number
- 02-679
- Decided
- June 9, 2003
- Argued
- April 21, 2003
- Court era
- Rehnquist 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
- Clarence Thomas
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Sex discrimination in employment
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (other)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority |
Full case caption
Desert Palace, Inc., Dba Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino v. Catharina F. Costa
SCDB identifiers: case 2002-068, docket 2002-068-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Sex discrimination in employment”
- Pennsylvania State Police v. Nancy Drew Suders
- Sharon B. Pollard v. E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company
- Clark County School District v. Shirley A. Breeden
- Jenifer Arbaugh v. Y & H Corporation
- Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Company v. Sheila White
- Lilly M. Ledbetter v. the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Fredy Orlando Ventura
- Jo Anne B. Barnhart v. Peabody Coal Company
- David Meyer v. Emma Mary Ellen Holley
- Washington State Department of Social and Health Services v. Guardianship Estate of Danny Keffeler
- United States v. White Mountain Apache Tribe
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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