Eastern Air Lines, Inc. v. Mahfoud on Behalf of Mahfoud
474 U.S. 213 · Decided December 10, 1985 · 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
Eastern Air Lines, Inc. v. Mahfoud on Behalf of Mahfoud was decided on December 10, 1985 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 474 U.S. 213 · 106 S. Ct. 586 · 88 L. Ed. 2d 522 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 3076
- Docket number
- 83-1807
- Decided
- December 10, 1985
- Argued
- January 15, 1985
- Reargued
- October 9, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Unspecifiable what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: William J. Brennan Jr..
Full case caption
Eastern Air Lines, Inc. v. Mahfoud on Behalf of Mahfoud et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-017, docket 1985-017-01.
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