James v. Valtierra

402 U.S. 137 · Decided April 26, 1971 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

James v. Valtierra was decided on April 26, 1971 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Hugo L. Black wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Poverty law, constitutional” in the Civil Rights area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: William O. Douglas.

Full case caption

James et al. v. Valtierra et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1970-091, docket 1970-091-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Poverty law, constitutional”

• Richardson v. Belcher
  404 U.S. 78Decided November 22, 19714–3Potter Stewart
• Townsend v. SwankLaw held unconstitutional
  404 U.S. 282Decided December 20, 19717–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Wyman v. Rothstein
  398 U.S. 275Decided June 1, 19705–2Per curiam
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  398 U.S. 73Decided May 25, 19705–3Per curiam
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Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)

• North Carolina State Board of Education v. SwannLaw held unconstitutional
  402 U.S. 43Decided April 20, 19719–0Warren E. Burger
• Labine v. Vincent
  401 U.S. 532Decided March 29, 19715–4Hugo L. Black
• Gordon v. Lance
  403 U.S. 1Decided June 7, 19717–2Warren E. Burger
• Whitcomb v. ChavisLaw held unconstitutional
  403 U.S. 124Decided June 7, 19716–3Byron R. White
• Abate v. Mundt
  403 U.S. 182Decided June 7, 19717–2Thurgood Marshall
• Palmer v. Thompson
  403 U.S. 217Decided June 14, 19715–4Hugo L. Black

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• Oregon v. MitchellLaw held unconstitutional
  400 U.S. 112Decided December 21, 19705–4Hugo L. Black
• Perkins v. Matthews
  400 U.S. 379Decided January 14, 19718–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Kennerly v. District Court of the Ninth Judicial District of Montana
  400 U.S. 423Decided January 18, 19717–2Per curiam
• Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp.
  400 U.S. 542Decided January 25, 19719–0Per curiam
• Relford v. Commandant, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Ft. Leavenworth
  401 U.S. 355Decided February 24, 19719–0Harry A. Blackmun
• Boddie v. ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
  401 U.S. 371Decided March 2, 19718–1John M. Harlan II

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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