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Kassel v. Consolidated Freightways Corporation of Delaware

450 U.S. 662 · Decided March 24, 1981 · 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

Kassel v. Consolidated Freightways Corporation of Delaware was decided on March 24, 1981 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “State or local business regulation” in the Economic Activity area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

Case details

Citations
450 U.S. 662 · 101 S. Ct. 1309 · 67 L. Ed. 2d 580 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 17
Docket number
79-1320
Decided
March 24, 1981
Argued
November 4, 1980
Court era
Burger Court
Decision type
Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
Disposition
Affirmed
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
Vote
6–3
Majority opinion
Lewis F. Powell Jr.
Opinion assigned by
William J. Brennan Jr.
How the case arrived
Appeal
Legal provision
Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)
Type of law
Constitution
Held unconstitutional
A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
Decision direction (SCDB)
Liberal what this means

How the Justices voted

JusticeVoteSeparate writing
Justice William J. Brennan Jr.Special concurrenceWrote an opinion
Justice Potter StewartDissent
Justice Byron R. WhiteMajority
Justice Thurgood MarshallSpecial concurrence
Chief Justice Warren E. BurgerDissent
Justice Harry A. BlackmunMajority
Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr.Judgment of the CourtWrote an opinion
Justice William H. RehnquistDissentWrote an opinion
Justice John Paul StevensMajority

Full case caption

Kassel, Director of Transportation, et al. v. Consolidated Freightways Corporation of Delaware

SCDB identifiers: case 1980-064, docket 1980-064-01.

Other cases on “State or local business regulation”

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Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)

Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)

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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