United States v. Nixon, 418 US 683 (1974)
Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote the opinion of a unanimous (8-0) Court. Justice William Rehnquist recused himself because of his close ties to the Nixon administration.
[Note: The question originally asked about Nixon v. United States, a case involving appeal of impeachment of a Mississippi federal District Court judge, in 1993. See Related Questions for information about that case.]
For more information about United States v. Nixon, see Related Questions, below.
Richard Nixon
Chief Justice Warren Burger
US President Richard M. Nixon .
Ricahard Nixon was President when the US troops were withdrawn by March 29,1973.
If more justices agree with a concurring opinion than with the opinion of the Court, the decision is called a plurality.
The Chief US Supreme Justice at the time of the Dred Scott decision was Justice Taney. He wrote the majority decision that proclaimed that Blacks in the USA could never be citizens. It was a 7 to 2 decision.
Richard Nixon
In the case of U.S. v. Nixon, the Supreme Court ruled that President Nixon did not have absolute executive privilege, particularly in relation to the Watergate scandal. The Court emphasized that the need for evidence in a criminal trial outweighed the president's claims of confidentiality. This decision ultimately led to Nixon's release of the tapes and was pivotal in affirming the principle that no one, not even the president, is above the law.
US v Nixon (1974) is often considered an activist decision because the Supreme Court actively intervened in a political matter by deciding that President Nixon must turn over the White House tapes as evidence in the Watergate scandal. The Court's ruling expanded the power of the judiciary by asserting its authority over the executive branch. It is considered activist because it went beyond interpreting the law and made a decision with significant political implications.
the lower court's decision stands unless there is a majority of the Supreme Court in favor of overturning it.
Dissent
Five or more justices who agree on a decision form a majority. The written decision is sometimes called the "majority opinion," but is officially known as the "opinion of the Court" to signify its importance.
In the US Supreme Court, a decision requires a simple majority of the justices hearing the case. If all nine justices are present, the minimum for for a majority is 5 votes of 9.
The outcome of United States v. Nixon was a unanimous 8-0 decision by the Supreme Court, ruling that President Nixon must turn over tape recordings and other materials subpoenaed as evidence in the Watergate scandal. This decision established the principle that the President is not immune from the judicial process and must comply with court orders. As a result, Nixon resigned from the presidency shortly after the ruling.
United States v. Nixon, 347 US 683 (1974)On 24 July 1974, the US Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Nixon, that Executive Privilege did NOT apply in a criminal matter, unless the protected information involved military or diplomatic secrets, or national security. This decision is what led to Nixon's resignation on 9 August 1974.For more information, see Related Questions, below.
Nixon v. United States is not related to the case involving former President Richard Nixon.The Nixon v. US, (1993) ruling listed in United States Reports (the official volumes containing US Supreme Court opinions) is Nixon v. United States, 506 US 224 (1993). This case is not related to former President Nixon, but to an impeached Mississippi US District Court judge, Walter Nixon, who appealed the Senate's impeachment ruling to the US Supreme Court.In that case, the Court determined that impeachment proceedings are non-justiciable, and are political matters, or the province of Congress. The 1993 Nixon case set a formal precedent preventing impeached officials from appealing their impeachment in court.William Rehnquist wrote the opinion of a unanimous Court. Justices Stevens, White and Souter wrote concurring opinions.
Chief JusticeEarl WarrenAssociate JusticesHugo BlackWilliam O. DouglasJohn M. Harlan IIWilliam Brennan, Jr.Potter StewartByron WhiteAbe FortasThurgood MarshallCase Citation:Tinker v. Des Moines, 393 US 503 (1969)