Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison Co.

Decided December 23, 1974. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 73-5845 · 419 U.S. 345 (1974) · Cited 2,489 times

Holding

Pennsylvania is not sufficiently connected with the challenged termination to make respondent's conduct attributable to the State for purposes of the Fourteenth Amendment, petitioner having shown no more than that respondent was a heavily regulated private utility with a partial monopoly and that it elected to terminate service in a manner that the Commission found permissible under state law.

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 6–3.

“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.

• Burton v. Wilmington Parking Authority · 365 U.S. 715 (1961)
• Public Utilities Commission v. Pollak · 343 U.S. 451 (1952)
• Moose Lodge No. 107 v. Irvis · 407 U.S. 163 (1972)
• Evans v. Newton · 382 U.S. 296 (1966)
• Louis K. Liggett Co. v. Lee · 288 U.S. 517 (1933)
• Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co. · 398 U.S. 144 (1970)
• Shelley v. Kraemer · 334 U.S. 1 (1948)
• Nebbia v. New York · 291 U.S. 502 (1934)
• Marsh v. Alabama · 326 U.S. 501 (1946)
• Civil Rights Cases · 109 U.S. 3 (1883)
• Reitman v. Mulkey · 387 U.S. 369 (1967)
• Terry v. Adams · 345 U.S. 461 (1953)
• Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Democratic National Committee · 412 U.S. 94 (1973)
• Railway Employes' Department v. Hanson · 351 U.S. 225 (1956)
• Nixon v. Condon · 286 U.S. 73 (1932)
• Board of Regents of State Colleges v. Roth · 408 U.S. 564 (1972)
• Goldberg v. Kelly · 397 U.S. 254 (1970)
• Fuentes v. Shevin · 407 U.S. 67 (1972)
• Arnett v. Kennedy · 416 U.S. 134 (1974)
• Steele v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad · 323 U.S. 192 (1944)
• Golden v. Zwickler · 394 U.S. 103 (1969)
• WILWORDING Et Al. v. SWENSON, WARDEN · 404 U.S. 249 (1971)
• Tyson & Brother v. Banton · 273 U.S. 418 (1927)
• McCabe v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. · 235 U.S. 151 (1914)
• Evans v. Abney · 396 U.S. 435 (1970)

Cited by

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

• Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck · 587 U.S. 802 (2019)
• Flagg Bros., Inc. v. Brooks · 436 U.S. 149 (1978)
• American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance v. Sullivan · 526 U.S. 40 (1999)
• San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc. v. United States Olympic Committee · 483 U.S. 522 (1987)
• Rendell-Baker v. Kohn · 457 U.S. 830 (1982)
• Morse v. Republican Party of Virginia · 517 U.S. 186 (1996)
• Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co. · 500 U.S. 614 (1991)
• Blum v. Yaretsky · 457 U.S. 991 (1982)
• Cantor v. Detroit Edison Co. · 428 U.S. 579 (1976)
• Ball v. James · 451 U.S. 355 (1981)
• Lugar v. Edmondson Oil Co. · 457 U.S. 922 (1982)
• Brentwood Academy v. Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Assn. · 531 U.S. 288 (2001)
• National Collegiate Athletic Assn. v. Tarkanian · 488 U.S. 179 (1988)
• Lebron v. National Railroad Passenger Corporation · 513 U.S. 374 (1995)
• Abood v. Detroit Board of Education · 431 U.S. 209 (1977)
• Runyon v. McCrary · 427 U.S. 160 (1976)
• Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation & Development Commission · 461 U.S. 190 (1983)
• Georgia v. McCollum · 505 U.S. 42 (1992)
• United States v. Orleans · 425 U.S. 807 (1976)
• Consolidated Edison Co. of New York v. Public Service Commission · 447 U.S. 530 (1980)
• City of Lafayette v. Louisiana Power & Light Co. · 435 U.S. 389 (1978)
• Janus v. State, County, and Municipal Employees · 585 U.S. 878 (2018)
• 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 (1974). 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).