R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Durham County, North Carolina, et al.

Decided December 9, 1986. Harry Andrew Blackmun delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 85-1021 · 479 U.S. 130 (1986) · Cited 165 times

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 9–0.

“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.

• Michelin Tire Corp. v. Wages · 423 U.S. 276 (1976)
• Japan Line, Ltd. v. County of Los Angeles · 441 U.S. 434 (1979)
• Doyle v. Ohio · 426 U.S. 610 (1976)
• Rice v. Santa Fe Elevator Corp. · 331 U.S. 218 (1947)
• Consumer Product Safety Commission v. GTE Sylvania, Inc. · 447 U.S. 102 (1980)
• Hicks v. Miranda · 422 U.S. 332 (1975)
• Louisiana Pub. Serv. Comm'n v. FCC · 476 U.S. 355 (1986)
• Wisconsin v. J. C. Penney Co. · 311 U.S. 435 (1941)
• Department of Revenue v. Ass'n of Washington Stevedoring Companies · 435 U.S. 734 (1978)
• Michigan v. Long · 463 U.S. 1032 (1983)
• Tumey v. Ohio · 273 U.S. 510 (1927)
• Hines v. Davidowitz · 312 U.S. 52 (1941)
• Florida Lime & Avocado Growers, Inc. v. Paul · 373 U.S. 132 (1963)
• Fidelity Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n v. De La Cuesta · 458 U.S. 141 (1982)
• Hillsborough County v. Automated Medical Laboratories, Inc. · 471 U.S. 707 (1985)
• McCarty v. McCarty · 453 U.S. 210 (1981)
• Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. v. Ware · 414 U.S. 117 (1973)
• Brown v. Hotel & Restaurant Employees & Bartenders International Union Local 54 · 468 U.S. 491 (1984)

Cited by

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

• Foster v. Chatman · 578 U.S. 488 (2016)
• Grady v. North Carolina · 575 U.S. 306 (2015)
• Kansas v. Garcia · 589 U.S. 191 (2020)
• Schneidewind v. ANR Pipeline Co. · 485 U.S. 293 (1988)
• Department of Revenue of Ore. v. ACF Industries, Inc. · 510 U.S. 332 (1994)
• Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Assn. · 584 U.S. 453 (2018)

Official text

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

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Harry Andrew Blackmun’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). 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).