General Motors Corporation v. Roger W. Tracy
519 U.S. 278 · Decided February 18, 1997 · 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
General Motors Corporation v. Roger W. Tracy was decided on February 18, 1997 by a vote of 8–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice David H. Souter wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “State or local government tax” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 519 U.S. 278 · 117 S. Ct. 811 · 136 L. Ed. 2d 761 · 1997 U.S. LEXIS 692
- Docket number
- 95-1232
- Decided
- February 18, 1997
- Argued
- October 7, 1996
- 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
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- David H. Souter
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- State or local government tax
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- 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 | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority |
Full case caption
General Motors Corporation v. Roger W. Tracy, Tax Commissioner of Ohio
SCDB identifiers: case 1996-019, docket 1996-019-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “State or local government tax”
- Camps Newfound/owatonna, Inc. v. Town of HarrisonLaw held unconstitutional
- Christopher H. Lunding v. New York Tax Appeals TribunalLaw held unconstitutional
- Fulton Corporation v. Janice H. FaulknerAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Newsweek, Inc. v. Florida Department of Revenue
- Oklahoma Tax Commission v. Jefferson Lines, Inc.
- South Central Bell Telephone Company v. AlabamaLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)
- West Lynn Creamery, Inc. v. Jonathan HealyLaw held unconstitutional
- C & a Carbone, Inc. v. Town of ClarkstownLaw held unconstitutional
- New York v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
- Fort Gratiot Sanitary Landfill, Inc. v. Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesLaw held unconstitutional
- State of Wyoming v. State of OklahomaLaw held unconstitutional
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America v. Peter E. Walsh
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- John W. Atherton, Jr. v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc. v. Director
- Regents of the University of California v. John Doe Etc.
- William C. Dunn and Delta Consultants, Inc. v. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Warner-Jenkinson Company, Inc. v. Hilton Davis Chemical Co.
- Inter-Modal Rail Employees Association v. Atchison
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