Secretary of the Interior v. California
464 U.S. 312 · Decided January 11, 1984 · 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
Secretary of the Interior v. California was decided on January 11, 1984 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 464 U.S. 312 · 104 S. Ct. 656 · 78 L. Ed. 2d 496 · 1984 U.S. LEXIS 15
- Docket number
- 82-1326
- Decided
- January 11, 1984
- Argued
- November 1, 1983
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- 16 U.S.C. § 307
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Secretary of the Interior et al. v. California et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1983-018, docket 1983-018-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
- Nevada v. United States
- Watt v. Western Nuclear, Inc.
- Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
- Metropolitan Edison Co. v. People Against Nuclear Energy
- Chemical Manufacturers Association v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority v. Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Virginia
- Sony Corporation of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.
- Daily Income Fund, Inc. v. Fox
- Southland Corp. v. Keating
- Dixson v. United States
- Monsanto Co. v. Spray-Rite Service 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