Duren v. Missouri

439 U.S. 357 · Decided January 9, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Duren v. Missouri was decided on January 9, 1979 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Sex discrimination (excluding employment)” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Duren v. Missouri

SCDB identifiers: case 1978-023, docket 1978-023-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Sex discrimination (excluding employment)”

• Harlin v. Missouri
  439 U.S. 459Decided January 15, 19798–1Per curiam
• Orr v. OrrLaw held unconstitutional
  440 U.S. 268Decided March 5, 19796–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Parham v. Hughes
  441 U.S. 347Decided April 24, 19795–4Potter Stewart
• Caban v. Mohammed et Ux.Law held unconstitutional
  441 U.S. 380Decided April 24, 19795–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Personnel Administrator of Massachusetts v. Feeney
  442 U.S. 256Decided June 5, 19797–2Potter Stewart
• Quilloin v. Walcott et Vir
  434 U.S. 246Decided January 10, 19789–0Thurgood Marshall

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Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (other provisions)

• Gannett Co., Inc. v. Depasquale
  443 U.S. 368Decided July 2, 19795–4Potter Stewart
• Adams v. Texas
  448 U.S. 38Decided June 25, 19808–1Byron R. White
• Davis v. Georgia
  429 U.S. 122Decided December 6, 19766–3Per curiam
• Waller v. Georgia
  467 U.S. 39Decided May 21, 19849–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Patton v. Yount
  467 U.S. 1025Decided June 26, 19846–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Holbrook v. Flynn
  475 U.S. 560Decided March 25, 19869–0Thurgood Marshall

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
  439 U.S. 24Decided November 13, 19785–4Per curiam
• Dougherty County v. White
  439 U.S. 32Decided November 28, 19785–4Thurgood Marshall
• Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
  439 U.S. 60Decided November 28, 19786–3William H. Rehnquist
• Califano v. Aznavorian
  439 U.S. 170Decided December 11, 19789–0Potter Stewart
• Lalli v. Lalli
  439 U.S. 259Decided December 11, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Harlin v. Missouri
  439 U.S. 459Decided January 15, 19798–1Per curiam

See all

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