Richardson v. Ramirez
418 U.S. 24 · Decided June 24, 1974 · 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
Richardson v. Ramirez was decided on June 24, 1974 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Voting” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 418 U.S. 24 · 94 S. Ct. 2655 · 41 L. Ed. 2d 551 · 1974 U.S. LEXIS 84
- Docket number
- 72-1589
- Decided
- June 24, 1974
- Argued
- January 15, 1974
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Voting
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (reduction in representation clause)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Richardson, County Clerk and Registrar of Voters of Mendocino County v. Ramirez et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1973-154, docket 1973-154-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Voting”
- O'Brien v. SkinnerLaw held unconstitutional
- Hill v. StoneLaw held unconstitutional
- Goosby v. Osser
- Roudebush v. Hartke
- Gordon v. Lance
- Oregon v. MitchellLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- United States Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Hibi
- Dennett v. Hogan
- Department of Game of Washington v. Puyallup Tribe
- Kusper v. PontikesLaw held unconstitutional
- Espinoza et Vir v. Farah Manufacturing Co., Inc.
- O'Brien v. SkinnerLaw held unconstitutional
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