Bowsher, Comptroller General of the United States, et al. v. Merck & Co., Inc.
Decided April 19, 1983. Sandra Day O'Connor delivered the opinion of the Court.
Docket 81-1273 · 460 U.S. 824 (1983)
We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion. Read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.
How the Justices voted
Decided 7–2.
Majority · 5
- Sandra Day O'Connor · delivered the opinion of the Court
- Lewis Franklin Powell Jr.
- Warren Earl Burger
- William Hubbs Rehnquist
- William Joseph Brennan Jr.
Concurring · 2
- Harry Andrew Blackmun · filed a concurring opinion
- John Paul Stevens
Dissenting · 2
- Byron Raymond White · filed a dissenting opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.
Official text
Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)
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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).