Joan Wagnon v. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
546 U.S. 95 · Decided December 6, 2005 · 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
Joan Wagnon v. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation was decided on December 6, 2005 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indians, state jurisdiction” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 546 U.S. 95 · 126 S. Ct. 676 · 163 L. Ed. 2d 429 · 2005 U.S. LEXIS 9229
- Docket number
- 04-631
- Decided
- December 6, 2005
- Argued
- October 3, 2005
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Clarence Thomas
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indians, state jurisdiction
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Dissent | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority |
Full case caption
Joan Wagnon, Secretary, Kansas Department of Revenue v. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
SCDB identifiers: case 2005-011, docket 2005-011-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indians, state jurisdiction”
- City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York
- Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation v. Michael O. Leavitt
- Donald L. Carcieri v. Ken L. Salazar
- Nevada v. Floyd Hicks
- Idaho v. United States
- C & L Enterprises, Inc. v. Citizen Band Potawatomi Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Anthony Kane v. Joe Garcia Espitia
- Schaffer v. Weast
- Anthony Ash v. Tyson Foods, Inc.
- Domino's Pizza, Inc. v. John McDonald
- Jenifer Arbaugh v. Y & H Corporation
- Alberto R. Gonzales v. Michelle Thomas
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