Poelker v. Doe
432 U.S. 519 · Decided June 20, 1977 · 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
Poelker v. Doe was decided on June 20, 1977 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. 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
- 432 U.S. 519 · 97 S. Ct. 2391 · 53 L. Ed. 2d 528 · 1977 U.S. LEXIS 131
- Docket number
- 75-442
- Decided
- June 20, 1977
- Argued
- January 11, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Abortion and contraceptives
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- 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 Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | 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 | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Poelker, Mayor of St. Louis, et al. v. Doe
SCDB identifiers: case 1976-157, docket 1976-157-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Abortion and contraceptives”
- Beal v. Doe
- Maher v. Roe
- Carey v. Population Services InternationalLaw held unconstitutional
- Guste v. Jackson
- Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. DanforthLaw held unconstitutional
- Colautti v. FranklinLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Nyquist v. MaucletLaw held unconstitutional
- Dayton Board of Education v. Brinkman
- School District of Omaha v. United States
- Brennan v. Armstrong
- Connor v. Finch
- Chappelle v. Greater Baton Rouge Airport DistrictLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- Guste v. Jackson
- Whalen v. Roe
- Carey v. Population Services InternationalLaw held unconstitutional
- Beal v. Doe
- Maher v. Roe
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