Regents of the University of California v. John Doe Etc.
519 U.S. 425 · Decided February 19, 1997 · 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
Regents of the University of California v. John Doe Etc. was decided on February 19, 1997 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Governmental liability” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 519 U.S. 425 · 117 S. Ct. 900 · 137 L. Ed. 2d 55 · 1997 U.S. LEXIS 1268
- Docket number
- 95-1694
- Decided
- February 19, 1997
- Argued
- December 2, 1996
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Governmental liability
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Eleventh Amendment
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority |
Full case caption
Regents of the University of California, et al. v. John Doe Etc.
SCDB identifiers: case 1996-027, docket 1996-027-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Governmental liability”
- William Jefferson Clinton v. Paula Corbin Jones
- United States v. Winstar Corporation
- James Griffin Lane v. Federico F. Pena
- Hercules Incorporated v. United States
- Daniel Bogan and Marilyn Roderick v. Janet Scott-Harris
- County of Sacramento v. Teri Lewis and Thomas Lewis
Cases on the same legal provision: Eleventh Amendment
- Idaho v. Coeur D'Alene Tribe of Idaho, Etc.
- Seminole Tribe of Florida v. FloridaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- California and State Lands Commission v. Deep Sea Research, Inc.
- John H. Alden v. MaineLaw held unconstitutional
- Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Patricia GarrettLaw held unconstitutional
- Paul D. Lapides v. Board of Regents of the University System of GeorgiaAltered precedent
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- John W. Atherton, Jr. v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc. v. Director
- General Motors Corporation v. Roger W. Tracy
- William C. Dunn and Delta Consultants, Inc. v. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Warner-Jenkinson Company, Inc. v. Hilton Davis Chemical Co.
- Inter-Modal Rail Employees Association v. Atchison
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