Williams & Wilkins Co v. United States
420 U.S. 376 · Decided February 19, 1975 · 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
Williams & Wilkins Co v. United States was decided on February 19, 1975 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 420 U.S. 376 · 95 S. Ct. 1344 · 43 L. Ed. 2d 264 · 1975 U.S. LEXIS 3976
- Docket number
- 73-1279
- Decided
- February 19, 1975
- Argued
- December 17, 1974
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Unspecifiable what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: Harry A. Blackmun.
Full case caption
Williams & Wilkins Co v. United States
SCDB identifiers: case 1974-055, docket 1974-055-01.
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