Hutto v. Finney
437 U.S. 678 · Decided June 23, 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
Hutto v. Finney was decided on June 23, 1978 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses” in the Attorneys area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 437 U.S. 678 · 98 S. Ct. 2565 · 57 L. Ed. 2d 522 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 125
- Docket number
- 76-1660
- Decided
- June 23, 1978
- Argued
- February 21, 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
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Awards Act
- 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. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Hutto et al. v. Finney et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-137, docket 1977-137-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses”
- Christiansburg Garment Co. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Boeing Co. v. Van Gemert
- Hanrahan v. Hampton
- New York Gaslight Club, Inc. v. Carey
- Roadway Express, Inc. v. Piper
- Maher v. Gagne
Same Term, same area (Attorneys)
- Christiansburg Garment Co. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- In re Primus
- Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Assn.
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