Vachon v. New Hampshire
414 U.S. 478 · Decided January 14, 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
Vachon v. New Hampshire was decided on January 14, 1974 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 “Due process, miscellaneous” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 414 U.S. 478 · 94 S. Ct. 664 · 38 L. Ed. 2d 666 · 1974 U.S. LEXIS 148
- Docket number
- 73-573
- Decided
- January 14, 1974
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Opinion assigned by
- William O. Douglas
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal 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 | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Vachon v. New Hampshire
SCDB identifiers: case 1973-036, docket 1973-036-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, miscellaneous”
- Barnes v. United States
- Vlandis v. KlineLaw held unconstitutional
- Douglas v. Buder
- United States v. Fuller et Ux.
- Drope v. Missouri
- Robinson v. HanrahanLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Cleveland Board of Education v. Lafleur
- North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy v. Snyder's Drug Stores, Inc.Altered precedent
- Cupp v. Naughten
- Wainwright v. Stone
- Smith v. GoguenLaw held unconstitutional
- Mitchell v. W. T. Grant Co.Altered precedent
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Marshall v. United States
- Christian v. New York State Department of Labor
- Arnett v. Kennedy
- Dillard v. Industrial Commission of Virginia
- Taylor v. Hayes
- Wolff v. McDonnell
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