Stump v. Sparkman et Vir
435 U.S. 349 · Decided March 28, 1978 · 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
Stump v. Sparkman et Vir was decided on March 28, 1978 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Liability under civil rights acts” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 435 U.S. 349 · 98 S. Ct. 1099 · 55 L. Ed. 2d 331 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 74
- Docket number
- 76-1750
- Decided
- March 28, 1978
- Argued
- January 10, 1978
- 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
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Liability under civil rights acts
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Did not participate: William J. Brennan Jr..
Full case caption
Stump et al. v. Sparkman et Vir
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-056, docket 1977-056-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Liability under civil rights acts”
- Carey v. Piphus
- Procunier v. Navarette
- Flagg Bros., Inc. v. Brooks
- Monell v. Department of Social Services of the City of New YorkAltered precedent
- Baker v. McCollan
- Martinez v. California
Cases on the same legal provision: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts)
- Robertson v. Wegmann
- Aldinger v. Howard
- Examining Board of Engineers v. Flores de OteroLaw held unconstitutional
- Rizzo v. Goode
- Chardon v. Fernandez
- Fair Assessment in Real Estate Association, Inc. v. McNary
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Califano v. Jobst
- Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
- Nashville Gas Co. v. Satty
- Richmond Unified School District v. Berg
- United Air Lines, Inc. v. McMann
- Quilloin v. Walcott et Vir
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