R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Durham County
479 U.S. 130 · Decided December 9, 1986 · 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
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Durham County was decided on December 9, 1986 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “State or local government tax” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 479 U.S. 130 · 107 S. Ct. 499 · 93 L. Ed. 2d 449 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 22
- Docket number
- 85-1021
- Decided
- December 9, 1986
- Argued
- October 6, 1986
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- State or local government tax
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. § 1257
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Full case caption
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Durham County, North Carolina, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-011, docket 1986-011-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “State or local government tax”
- Western Air Lines, Inc. v. Board of Equalization of the State of South Dakota
- Arkansas Writers' Project, Inc. v. RaglandLaw held unconstitutional
- Burlington Northern Railroad Co. v. Oklahoma Tax Commission
- Rockford Life Insurance Co. v. Illinois Department of Revenue
- Tyler Pipe Industries, Inc. v. Washington State Department of RevenueAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- American Trucking Associations, Inc. v. ScheinerLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. § 1257
- Goodyear Atomic Corp. v. Miller
- Duquesne Light Co. v. Barasch
- O'Dell v. Espinoza
- Flynt v. Ohio
- San Diego Gas & Electric Co. v. City of San Diego
- Key v. Doyle
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Kelly v. Robinson
- Cargill, Inc. v. Monfort of Colorado, Inc.
- 324 Liquor Corp. v. Duffy
- Clarke v. Securities Industry Association
- Jersey Shore State Bank v. United States
- Interstate Commerce Commission v. Texas
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