Jenness v. Fortson
403 U.S. 431 · Decided June 21, 1971 · 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
Jenness v. Fortson was decided on June 21, 1971 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Ballot access” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 403 U.S. 431 · 91 S. Ct. 1970 · 29 L. Ed. 2d 554 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 24
- Docket number
- 5714
- Decided
- June 21, 1971
- Argued
- March 1, 1971
- 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
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Ballot access
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Special concurrence | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Special concurrence | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority |
Full case caption
Jenness et al. v. Fortson, Secretary of State of Georgia
SCDB identifiers: case 1970-136, docket 1970-136-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Ballot access”
- Bullock v. CarterLaw held unconstitutional
- Brockington v. Rhodes
- Moore v. OgilvieAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Williams v. RhodesLaw held unconstitutional
- Storer v. Brown
- American Party of Texas v. White
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Palmer v. Thompson
- Graham v. RichardsonLaw held unconstitutional
- Gordon v. Lance
- Whitcomb v. ChavisLaw held unconstitutional
- Abate v. Mundt
- James v. Valtierra
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Oregon v. MitchellLaw held unconstitutional
- Perkins v. Matthews
- Kennerly v. District Court of the Ninth Judicial District of Montana
- Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp.
- Relford v. Commandant, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Ft. Leavenworth
- Boddie v. ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
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