Shaffer v. Heitner
433 U.S. 186 · Decided June 24, 1977 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Shaffer v. Heitner was decided on June 24, 1977 by a vote of 7–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, jurisdiction over nonresidents” in the Due Process area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 433 U.S. 186 · 97 S. Ct. 2569 · 53 L. Ed. 2d 683 · 1977 U.S. LEXIS 139
- Docket number
- 75-1812
- Decided
- June 24, 1977
- Argued
- February 22, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–1
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, jurisdiction over nonresidents
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Altered precedent
- Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
- 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. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: William H. Rehnquist.
Full case caption
Shaffer et al. v. Heitner
SCDB identifiers: case 1976-166, docket 1976-166-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, jurisdiction over nonresidents”
- Kulko v. Superior Court of California in and for the City and County of San Francisco (Horn
- World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson
- Rush v. Savchuk
- Allstate Insurance Co. v. Hague
- Insurance Corporation of Ireland, Ltd. v. Compagnie Des Bauxites de Guinee
- Keeton v. Hustler Magazine, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Patterson v. New York
- Manson v. Brathwaite
- Smith v. Organization of Foster Families for Equality & Reform
- Carey v. Population Services InternationalLaw held unconstitutional
- Moore v. City of East ClevelandLaw held unconstitutional
- Dixon v. Love
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Moody v. Daggett
- Connally v. GeorgiaLaw held unconstitutional
- Codd v. Velger
- Bounds v. Smith
- Dixon v. Love
- Smith v. Organization of Foster Families for Equality & Reform
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