Michael H. v. Gerald D.
491 U.S. 110 · Decided June 15, 1989 · 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
Michael H. v. Gerald D. was decided on June 15, 1989 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, miscellaneous” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 491 U.S. 110 · 109 S. Ct. 2333 · 105 L. Ed. 2d 91 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 2977
- Docket number
- 87-746
- Decided
- June 15, 1989
- Argued
- October 11, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Antonin Scalia
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Concurrence |
Full case caption
Michael H. et al. v. Gerald D.
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-114, docket 1988-114-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, miscellaneous”
- Arizona v. Youngblood
- Rivera v. Minnich
- Edward Harold Schad, Jr. v. Arizona
- Martin v. Ohio
- Diane Griffin v. United States
- Terry Foucha v. LouisianaLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Carella v. California
- Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
- Kentucky Department of Corrections v. Thompson
- Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services
- National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Jerry Tarkanian
- Burnham v. Superior Court of California
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Arizona v. Youngblood
- National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Jerry Tarkanian
- Duquesne Light Co. v. Barasch
- Kentucky Department of Corrections v. Thompson
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