Ridgway v. Ridgway
454 U.S. 46 · Decided November 10, 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
Ridgway v. Ridgway was decided on November 10, 1981 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun 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
- 454 U.S. 46 · 102 S. Ct. 49 · 70 L. Ed. 2d 39 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 143
- Docket number
- 80-1070
- Decided
- November 10, 1981
- Argued
- October 7, 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
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- 38 U.S.C. § 765
- 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 | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Sandra Day O'Connor.
Full case caption
Ridgway et al. v. Ridgway et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1981-005, docket 1981-005-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- Fidelity Federal Savings & Loan Association v. de La Cuesta
- North Dakota v. United States
- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission
- Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. v. Arkansas Public Service Commission
- Philko Aviation, Inc. v. Shacket et Ux.
- Shaw v. Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Mississippi
- United States v. Louisiana
- California ex Rel. State Lands Commission v. United States
- Fidelity Federal Savings & Loan Association v. de La Cuesta
- Sporhase v. Nebraska ex Rel. DouglasAltered precedentLaw 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