United States v. Powell
330 U.S. 238 · Decided March 3, 1947 · 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. Powell was decided on March 3, 1947 by a vote of 8–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Railroad regulation” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 330 U.S. 238 · 67 S. Ct. 742 · 91 L. Ed. 868 · 1947 U.S. LEXIS 2893
- Docket number
- 56
- Decided
- March 3, 1947
- Argued
- January 13, 1947
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- William O. Douglas
- Opinion assigned by
- Stanley F. Reed
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Railroad regulation
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- 49 U.S.C. § 65
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Frank Murphy | Majority | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Majority | |
| Justice Wiley B. Rutledge | Dissent | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority |
Full case caption
United States v. Powell et Al., Receivers
SCDB identifiers: case 1946-058, docket 1946-058-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Railroad regulation”
- Northern Pacific Railway Co. v. United States
- Krug v. Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Co.
- Insurance Group Committee v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co.
- New York v. United States
- United States v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.
- United States v. South Buffalo Railway Co.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Co. v. WalkerAltered precedent
- Champlin Refining Co. v. United States
- United States v. Howard P. Foley Co., Inc.
- Richfield Oil Corp. v. State Board of EqualizationLaw held unconstitutional
- American Power & Light Co. v. Securities & Exchange Commission
- Vanston Bondholders Protective Committee v. Green
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