Dougherty County v. White
439 U.S. 32 · Decided November 28, 1978 · 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
Dougherty County v. White was decided on November 28, 1978 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 439 U.S. 32 · 99 S. Ct. 368 · 58 L. Ed. 2d 269 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 2451
- Docket number
- 77-120
- Decided
- November 28, 1978
- Argued
- October 2, 1978
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Type of law
- Federal 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Dougherty County, Georgia, Board of Education et al. v. White
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-007, docket 1978-007-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Voting Rights Act of 1965 and amendments”
- Berry v. Doles
- United States v. Board of Commissioners of Sheffield
- City of Rome v. United States
- Briscoe v. Bell
- Morris v. Gressette
- United States v. Board of Supervisors of Warren County
Cases on the same legal provision: Voting Rights Act of 1965
- East Carroll Parish School Board v. Marshall
- Joan Growe v. James Emison
- George Voinovich v. Barney Quilter
- Rick Perry v. Shannon Perez
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
- Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
- Califano v. Aznavorian
- Lalli v. Lalli
- Duren v. MissouriAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Harlin v. Missouri
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