Cruzan v. Director
497 U.S. 261 · Decided June 25, 1990 · 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
Cruzan v. Director was decided on June 25, 1990 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Right to die” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 497 U.S. 261 · 110 S. Ct. 2841 · 111 L. Ed. 2d 224 · 1990 U.S. LEXIS 3301
- Docket number
- 88-1503
- Decided
- June 25, 1990
- Argued
- December 6, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Right to die
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Cruzan, by Her Parents and Co-Guardians, Cruzan et Ux. v. Director, Missouri Department of Health, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1989-126, docket 1989-126-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Right to die”
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Hodgson v. MinnesotaLaw held unconstitutional
- Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health
- Burnham v. Superior Court of California
- Tommy Cage v. Louisiana
- Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company v. Cleopatra Haslip
- Arizona v. FulminanteAltered precedent
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- John Doe Agency and John Doe Government Agency v. John Doe Corporation
- Hodgson v. MinnesotaLaw held unconstitutional
- Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health
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