United States v. Mitchell et al.

Decided June 27, 1983. Thurgood Marshall delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 81-1748 · 463 U.S. 206 (1983) · Cited 3,342 times

Holding

The United States is accountable in money damages for alleged breaches of trust in connection with its management of forest resources on allotted lands of the Quinault Reservation.

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.

• United States v. Testan · 424 U.S. 392 (1976)
• United States v. Mitchell · 445 U.S. 535 (1980)
• White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker · 448 U.S. 136 (1980)
• Seminole Nation v. United States · 316 U.S. 286 (1942)
• Army and Air Force Exchange Service v. Sheehan · 456 U.S. 728 (1982)
• United States v. King · 395 U.S. 1 (1969)
• United States v. Kagama · 118 U.S. 375 (1886)
• United States v. Shaw · 309 U.S. 495 (1940)
• United States v. Creek Nation · 295 U.S. 103 (1935)
• United States v. Mason · 412 U.S. 391 (1973)
• United States v. Sherwood · 312 U.S. 584 (1941)
• Texas Industries, Inc. v. Radcliff Materials, Inc. · 451 U.S. 630 (1981)
• Soriano v. United States · 352 U.S. 270 (1957)
• Glidden Co. v. Zdanok · 370 U.S. 530 (1962)
• California v. Sierra Club · 451 U.S. 287 (1981)
• Minnesota v. United States · 305 U.S. 382 (1939)
• United States v. Candelaria · 271 U.S. 432 (1926)
• United States v. Shoshone Tribe of Indians · 304 U.S. 111 (1938)
• Touche Ross & Co. v. Redington · 442 U.S. 560 (1979)
• Dalehite v. United States · 346 U.S. 15 (1953)
• Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez · 436 U.S. 49 (1978)
• Middlesex County Sewerage Authority v. National Sea Clammers Assn. · 453 U.S. 1 (1981)
• Transamerica Mortgage Advisors, Inc. v. Lewis · 444 U.S. 11 (1979)
• Indian Towing Co. v. United States · 350 U.S. 61 (1955)
• Lehman v. Nakshian · 453 U.S. 156 (1981)
• Northwest Airlines, Inc. v. Transport Workers Union · 451 U.S. 77 (1981)
• United States v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. · 309 U.S. 506 (1940)
• United States v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. · 338 U.S. 366 (1949)
• Universities Research Assn., Inc. v. Coutu · 450 U.S. 754 (1981)
• Block v. Neal · 460 U.S. 289 (1983)

Cited by

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

• United States v. Navajo Nation · 537 U.S. 488 (2003)
• United States v. White Mountain Apache Tribe · 537 U.S. 465 (2003)
• United States v. Jicarilla Apache Nation · 564 U.S. 162 (2011)
• Arizona v. Navajo Nation · 599 U.S. 555 (2023)
• Department of the Interior v. Klamath Water Users Protective Ass'n · 532 U.S. 1 (2001)
• Federal Deposit Insurance v. Meyer · 510 U.S. 471 (1994)
• Mertens v. Hewitt Associates · 508 U.S. 248 (1993)
• United States v. Navajo Nation · 556 U.S. 287 (2009)
• United States v. Bormes · 568 U.S. 6 (2012)
• Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Co. v. Pueblo of Santa Ana · 472 U.S. 237 (1985)
• Haaland v. Brackeen · 599 U.S. 255 (2023)
• United States v. Miller · 604 U.S. 518 (2025)
• Eastern Enterprises v. Apfel · 524 U.S. 498 (1998)
• Hercules, Inc. v. United States · 516 U.S. 417 (1996)
• United States v. Tohono O’odham Nation · 563 U.S. 307 (2011)
• Carcieri v. Salazar · 555 U.S. 379 (2009)
• United States v. Mottaz · 476 U.S. 834 (1986)
• Gomez-Perez v. Potter · 553 U.S. 474 (2008)
• Tenet v. Doe · 544 U.S. 1 (2005)
• Wilkins v. United States · 598 U.S. 152 (2023)

Official text

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

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1983). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).