Parratt v. Taylor
451 U.S. 527 · Decided May 18, 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
Parratt v. Taylor was decided on May 18, 1981 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Liability under civil rights acts” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 451 U.S. 527 · 101 S. Ct. 1908 · 68 L. Ed. 2d 420 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 99
- Docket number
- 79-1734
- Decided
- May 18, 1981
- Argued
- March 2, 1981
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Liability under civil rights acts
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Concurrence | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Parratt et al. v. Taylor
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-089, docket 1980-089-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Liability under civil rights acts”
- City of Newport v. Fact Concerts, Inc.
- Allen v. McCurry
- Dennis v. Sparks
- Polk County v. Dodson
- Maine v. Thiboutot et Vir.
- Supreme Court of Virginia v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Chardon v. Fernandez
- Fair Assessment in Real Estate Association, Inc. v. McNary
- Patsy v. Board of Regents of the State of Florida
- Robertson v. Wegmann
- Aldinger v. Howard
- Examining Board of Engineers v. Flores de OteroLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Dennis v. Sparks
- Allen v. McCurry
- United States Railroad Retirement Board v. Fritz
- Delaware State College v. Ricks
- Fedorenko v. United States
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Associated Dry Goods Corp.
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