Home > Great American Court Cases > Oregon v. Mitchell

Legal Citation: 400 U.S. 112 (1970)

Plaintiff
State of Oregon

Defendant
John N. Mitchell, U.S. Attorney General

Plaintiff's Claim
The attorney general should be barred from enforcing provisions of Congress' Voting Rights Act because the right to regulate elections is reserved for the states.

Chief Lawyer for Plaintiff
Lee Johnson

Chief Defense Lawyer
Erwin N. Griswold

Justices for the Court
Hugo Lafayette Black (writing for the Court), Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan, Jr., Warren E. Burger, Potter Stewart

Justices Dissenting
William O. Douglas, John Marshall Harlan II, Thurgood Marshall, Byron R. White

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
21 December 1970

Decision
Congress could lower the voting age in federal elections to 18, but states and...