Vasquez v. Hillery
474 U.S. 254 · Decided January 14, 1986 · 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
Vasquez v. Hillery was decided on January 14, 1986 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall 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
- 474 U.S. 254 · 106 S. Ct. 617 · 88 L. Ed. 2d 598 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 40
- Docket number
- 84-836
- Decided
- January 14, 1986
- Argued
- October 15, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Desegregation (general)
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Vasquez, Warden v. Hillery
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-021, docket 1985-021-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Desegregation (general)”
- Batson v. KentuckyAltered precedent
- Hobby v. United States
- Palmore v. Sidoti
- Town of Huntington v. Huntington Branch
- City of Memphis v. Greene
- Powers v. Ohio
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Miller v. Fenton
- Kimmelman v. Morrison
- Wainwright v. Witt
- Reed v. Ross
- Antone v. Dugger
- Barefoot v. Estelle
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
- Green v. Mansour
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Malley v. Briggs
- Pembaur v. City of Cincinnati
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