United States v. Johnson
390 U.S. 563 · Decided April 8, 1968 · 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
United States v. Johnson was decided on April 8, 1968 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Desegregation (general)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 390 U.S. 563 · 88 S. Ct. 1231 · 20 L. Ed. 2d 132 · 1968 U.S. LEXIS 2001
- Docket number
- 482
- Decided
- April 8, 1968
- Argued
- March 14, 1968
- Court era
- Warren 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
- William O. Douglas
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Desegregation (general)
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title II)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Dissent | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Dissent | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Abe Fortas | Majority |
Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall.
Full case caption
United States v. Johnson et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1967-100, docket 1967-100-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Desegregation (general)”
- Anderson v. Johnson
- Lee v. WashingtonLaw held unconstitutional
- Jones et Ux. v. Alfred H. Mayer Co.Altered precedent
- Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc.
- Coleman v. Alabama
- Jones v. Georgia
Cases on the same legal provision: Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title II)
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Coleman v. Alabama
- Jones v. Georgia
- Roberts v. Lavallee
- Lucas v. RhodesLaw held unconstitutional
- Eagar v. Magma Copper Co.
- Rockefeller v. WellsLaw 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