Flagg Bros., Inc., et al. v. Brooks et al.

Decided May 15, 1978. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 77-25 · 436 U.S. 149 (1978) · Cited 2,370 times

Holding

A warehouseman's proposed sale of goods entrusted to him for storage, as permitted by 7-210, is not "state action," and since the allegation of the complaint failed to establish that any violation of respondents' Fourteenth Amendment rights was committed by either the storage company or the State of New York, the District Court properly concluded that no claim for relief was stated by respondents under 42 U.S.C.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–3.

“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.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Fuentes v. Shevin · 407 U.S. 67 (1972)
• Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison Co. · 419 U.S. 345 (1974)
• Evans v. Newton · 382 U.S. 296 (1966)
• Marsh v. Alabama · 326 U.S. 501 (1946)
• Terry v. Adams · 345 U.S. 461 (1953)
• Sniadach v. Family Finance Corp. of Bay View · 395 U.S. 337 (1969)
• North Georgia Finishing, Inc. v. Di-Chem, Inc. · 419 U.S. 601 (1975)
• Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co. · 398 U.S. 144 (1970)
• Griffin v. Maryland · 378 U.S. 130 (1964)
• Burton v. Wilmington Parking Authority · 365 U.S. 715 (1961)
• Mitchell v. W. T. Grant Co. · 416 U.S. 600 (1974)
• Moose Lodge No. 107 v. Irvis · 407 U.S. 163 (1972)
• Smith v. Allwright · 321 U.S. 649 (1944)
• Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co. · 392 U.S. 409 (1968)
• Amalgamated Food Employees Union Local 590 v. Logan Valley Plaza, Inc. · 391 U.S. 308 (1968)
• Virginia v. Rives · 100 U.S. 313 (1880)
• Boddie v. Connecticut · 401 U.S. 371 (1971)
• Arnett v. Kennedy · 416 U.S. 134 (1974)
• Shelley v. Kraemer · 334 U.S. 1 (1948)
• Steele v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad · 323 U.S. 192 (1944)
• United States v. Price · 383 U.S. 787 (1966)
• Civil Rights Cases · 109 U.S. 3 (1883)
• United States v. Kras · 409 U.S. 434 (1973)
• Hudgens v. National Labor Relations Board · 424 U.S. 507 (1976)
• Railway Employes' Department v. Hanson · 351 U.S. 225 (1956)
• Beal v. Doe · 432 U.S. 438 (1977)
• Liner v. Jafco, Inc. · 375 U.S. 301 (1964)
• Bell v. Maryland · 378 U.S. 226 (1964)
• Norwood v. Harrison · 413 U.S. 455 (1973)
• Nixon v. Condon · 286 U.S. 73 (1932)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Lugar v. Edmondson Oil Co. · 457 U.S. 922 (1982)
• Morse v. Republican Party of Virginia · 517 U.S. 186 (1996)
• Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck · 587 U.S. 802 (2019)
• American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance v. Sullivan · 526 U.S. 40 (1999)
• Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co. · 500 U.S. 614 (1991)
• Blum v. Yaretsky · 457 U.S. 991 (1982)
• Rendell-Baker v. Kohn · 457 U.S. 830 (1982)
• West v. Atkins · 487 U.S. 42 (1988)
• Polk County v. Dodson · 454 U.S. 312 (1981)
• Tulsa Professional Collection Services, Inc. v. Pope · 485 U.S. 478 (1988)
• San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc. v. United States Olympic Committee · 483 U.S. 522 (1987)
• Wilson v. Garcia · 471 U.S. 261 (1985)
• Brentwood Academy v. Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Assn. · 531 U.S. 288 (2001)
• Georgia v. McCollum · 505 U.S. 42 (1992)
• Kadrmas v. Dickinson Public Schools · 487 U.S. 450 (1988)
• Selective Service System v. Minnesota Public Interest Research Group · 468 U.S. 841 (1984)
• Lindke v. Freed · 601 U.S. 187 (2024)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1978). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).