Bowen v. City of New York
476 U.S. 467 · Decided June 2, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Bowen v. City of New York was decided on June 2, 1986 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Rights of handicapped persons” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 476 U.S. 467 · 106 S. Ct. 2022 · 90 L. Ed. 2d 462 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 80
- Docket number
- 84-1923
- Decided
- June 2, 1986
- Argued
- February 26, 1986
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Rights of handicapped persons
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Social Security Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Bowen, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al. v. City of New York et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-094, docket 1985-094-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Rights of handicapped persons”
- Bowen v. American Hospital Association
- United States Department of Transportation v. Paralyzed Veterans of America
- School Board of Nassau County v. Arline
- School Committee of the Town of Burlington v. Department of Education of Massachusetts
- Alexander v. Choate
- Honig v. Doe
Cases on the same legal provision: Social Security Act
- Bowen v. Owens
- Bowen v. Public Agencies Opposed to Social Security Entrapment
- Bowen v. Yuckert
- Schweiker v. Chilicky
- Heckler v. Mathews
- Heckler v. Campbell
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
- Green v. Mansour
- Vasquez v. Hillery
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Malley v. Briggs
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error