Whitcomb v. Chavis
403 U.S. 124 · Decided June 7, 1971 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Whitcomb v. Chavis was decided on June 7, 1971 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Reapportionment (other than Voting Rights Act plans)” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 403 U.S. 124 · 91 S. Ct. 1858 · 29 L. Ed. 2d 363 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 125
- Docket number
- 92
- Decided
- June 7, 1971
- Argued
- December 8, 1970
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority |
Full case caption
Whitcomb, Governor of Indiana v. Chavis et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1970-125, docket 1970-125-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Reapportionment (other than Voting Rights Act plans)”
- Ely v. Klahr
- Abate v. Mundt
- Connor v. Johnson
- Connor v. Williams
- Sixty-Seventh Minnesota State Senate v. Beens
- Taylor v. McKeithen
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Gordon v. Lance
- Palmer v. Thompson
- Graham v. RichardsonLaw held unconstitutional
- Jenness v. Fortson
- James v. Valtierra
- North Carolina State Board of Education v. SwannLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Oregon v. MitchellLaw held unconstitutional
- Perkins v. Matthews
- Kennerly v. District Court of the Ninth Judicial District of Montana
- Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp.
- Relford v. Commandant, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Ft. Leavenworth
- Boddie v. ConnecticutLaw 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