Linda A. Watters v. Wachovia Bank, N. A.
550 U.S. 1 · Decided April 17, 2007 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Linda A. Watters v. Wachovia Bank, N. A. was decided on April 17, 2007 by a vote of 5–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 550 U.S. 1 · 127 S. Ct. 1559 · 167 L. Ed. 2d 389 · 2007 U.S. LEXIS 4336
- Docket number
- 05-1342
- Decided
- April 17, 2007
- Argued
- November 29, 2006
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Opinion assigned by
- Anthony M. Kennedy
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- 12 U.S.C. § 1
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Majority |
Did not participate: Clarence Thomas.
Full case caption
Linda A. Watters, Commissioner, Michigan Office of Insurance and Financial Services v. Wachovia Bank, N. A., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2006-028, docket 2006-028-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- G. Steven Rowe v. New Hampshire Motor Transport Association
- Merrill Lynch v. Shadi Dabit
- Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Brown
- Altria Group, Inc. v. Stephanie Good
- Mid-Con Freight Systems, Inc. v. Michigan Public Service Commission
- Wyeth v. Diana Levine
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