John Doe #1 v. Sam Reed
561 U.S. 186 · Decided June 24, 2010 · 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
John Doe #1 v. Sam Reed was decided on June 24, 2010 by a vote of 8–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Freedom of Information Act and related laws” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 561 U.S. 186 · 130 S. Ct. 2811 · 177 L. Ed. 2d 493 · 2010 U.S. LEXIS 5256
- Docket number
- 09-559
- Decided
- June 24, 2010
- Argued
- April 28, 2010
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Freedom of Information Act and related laws
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Concurrence | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Concurrence | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
John Doe #1, et al. v. Sam Reed, Washington Secretary of State, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2009-081, docket 2009-081-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Freedom of Information Act and related laws”
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration v. Robert M. Nelson
- Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T Inc.
- Glen Scott Milner v. Department of the Navy
- Schindler Elevator Corporation v. United States ex Rel. Daniel Kirk
- Mark J. McBurney v. Nathaniel L. Young
- Lawson v. FMR LLC
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Citizens United v. Federal Election CommissionAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Albert Snyder v. Fred W. Phelps, Sr.
- Nevada Commission on Ethics v. Michael A. Carrigan
- Sorrell v. Ims Health Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Edmund G. Brown, Jr. v. Entertainment Merchants AssociationLaw held unconstitutional
- Arizona Free Enterprise Club's Freedom Club Pac v. Ken BennettLaw 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