Leona Benten v. David Kessler
505 U.S. 1084 · Decided July 17, 1992 · 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
Leona Benten v. David Kessler was decided on July 17, 1992 by a vote of 7–2. SCDB codes the disposition as “petition denied or appeal dismissed.” The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Abortion and contraceptives” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 505 U.S. 1084 · 112 S. Ct. 2929 · 120 L. Ed. 2d 926 · 1992 U.S. LEXIS 4756
- Docket number
- A-40
- Decided
- July 17, 1992
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Petition denied or appeal dismissed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Abortion and contraceptives
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority |
Full case caption
Leona Benten, et al. v. David Kessler, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1991-120, docket 1991-120-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Abortion and contraceptives”
- Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Robert P. Casey, Etc.Altered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Irving Rust v. Sullivan
- National Organization for Women, Inc., Etc. v. Joseph Scheidler
- Judy Madsen v. Women's Health Center, Inc.
- Hodgson v. MinnesotaLaw held unconstitutional
- Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- United States Department of State v. Michael D. Ray
- Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Robert P. Casey, Etc.Altered precedentLaw 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