Staats v. Bristol Laboratories Division of Bristol-Myers Co.
451 U.S. 400 · Decided April 29, 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
Staats v. Bristol Laboratories Division of Bristol-Myers Co. was decided on April 29, 1981 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 451 U.S. 400 · 101 S. Ct. 2037 · 68 L. Ed. 2d 184 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 92
- Docket number
- 80-264
- Decided
- April 29, 1981
- Argued
- March 24, 1981
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Unspecifiable what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: Potter Stewart.
Full case caption
Staats, Comptroller General of the United States, et al. v. Bristol Laboratories Division of Bristol-Myers Co.
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-082, docket 1980-082-01.
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