Plyler v. Doe
457 U.S. 202 · Decided June 15, 1982 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Plyler v. Doe was decided on June 15, 1982 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Immigration, access to public education” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 457 U.S. 202 · 102 S. Ct. 2382 · 72 L. Ed. 2d 786 · 1982 U.S. LEXIS 124
- Docket number
- 80-1538
- Decided
- June 15, 1982
- Argued
- December 1, 1981
- 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
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Immigration, access to public education
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent |
Full case caption
Plyler, Superintendent, Tyler Independent School District, et al. v. Doe, Guardian, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1981-120, docket 1981-120-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Immigration, access to public education”
- Toll v. Moreno
- Nyquist v. MaucletLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Zobel et Ux. v. WilliamsLaw held unconstitutional
- Washington v. Seattle School District No. 1Law held unconstitutional
- Crawford v. Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles
- Rogers v. LodgeLaw held unconstitutional
- Mississippi University for Women v. HoganLaw held unconstitutional
- Mills v. HabluetzelLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Chardon v. Fernandez
- Ralston v. Robinson
- Polk County v. Dodson
- Blanding v. Dubose
- Cabell v. Chavez-Salido
- Merrion v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe
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