Philip Morris USA Inc. v. Mayola Williams
556 U.S. 178 · Decided March 31, 2009 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Philip Morris USA Inc. v. Mayola Williams was decided on March 31, 2009 unanimously (9–0). SCDB codes the disposition as “petition denied or appeal dismissed.” The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “No merits, writ improvidently granted” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 556 U.S. 178 · 129 S. Ct. 1436 · 173 L. Ed. 2d 346 · 2009 U.S. LEXIS 2493
- Docket number
- 07-1216
- Decided
- March 31, 2009
- Argued
- December 3, 2008
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Petition denied or appeal dismissed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- No merits, writ improvidently granted
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Majority |
Full case caption
Philip Morris USA Inc. v. Mayola Williams, Personal Representative of the Estate of Jesse D. Williams, Deceased
SCDB identifiers: case 2008-038, docket 2008-038-01.
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Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Edward Nathaniel Bell v. Loretta K. Kelly
- Carlos Jimenez v. Nathaniel Quarterman
- Priscilla Summers v. Earth Island Institute
- Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations, Inc.
- Arthur Andersen LLP v. Wayne Carlisle
- Carlsbad Technology, Inc. v. Hif Bio, Inc.
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