Poe v. Gerstein
417 U.S. 281 · Decided June 3, 1974 · 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
Poe v. Gerstein was decided on June 3, 1974 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. 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
- 417 U.S. 281 · 94 S. Ct. 2247 · 41 L. Ed. 2d 70 · 1974 U.S. LEXIS 67
- Docket number
- 73-1283
- Decided
- June 3, 1974
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Abortion and contraceptives
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Poe et al. v. Gerstein et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1973-129, docket 1973-129-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Abortion and contraceptives”
- Roe v. WadeLaw held unconstitutional
- Doe v. BoltonLaw held unconstitutional
- Connecticut v. Menillo
- Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. DanforthLaw held unconstitutional
- Eisenstadt v. BairdLaw held unconstitutional
- Guste v. Jackson
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
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