Linda R. S. v. Richard D.
410 U.S. 614 · Decided March 5, 1973 · 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
Linda R. S. v. Richard D. was decided on March 5, 1973 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Rights of illegitimates” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 410 U.S. 614 · 93 S. Ct. 1146 · 35 L. Ed. 2d 536 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 99
- Docket number
- 71-6078
- Decided
- March 5, 1973
- Argued
- December 6, 1972
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Rights of illegitimates
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Linda R. S. v. Richard D. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-071, docket 1972-071-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Rights of illegitimates”
- Gomez v. PerezLaw held unconstitutional
- New Jersey Welfare Rights Organization v. CahillLaw held unconstitutional
- Weber v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.Law held unconstitutional
- Willis v. Prudential Insurance Company of America
- Jimenez v. WeinbergerLaw held unconstitutional
- Labine v. Vincent
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Philpott v. Essex County Welfare BoardLaw held unconstitutional
- District of Columbia v. Carter
- United States v. Kras
- Goosby v. Osser
- Gomez v. PerezLaw held unconstitutional
- Mahan v. HowellLaw 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