Webster v. Doe
486 U.S. 592 · Decided June 15, 1988 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Webster v. Doe was decided on June 15, 1988 by a vote of 6–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part, reversed or vacated it in part, and remanded the case. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Security risk dismissals or benefit denials” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 486 U.S. 592 · 108 S. Ct. 2047 · 100 L. Ed. 2d 632 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 2724
- Docket number
- 86-1294
- Decided
- June 15, 1988
- Argued
- January 12, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Security risk dismissals or benefit denials
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Anthony M. Kennedy.
Full case caption
Webster, Director of Central Intelligence v. Doe
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-112, docket 1987-112-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Security risk dismissals or benefit denials”
- Department of the Navy v. Egan
- Carlucci v. Doe
- Kreznar v. United States.
- Greene v. United States
- Nostrand v. Little
- Dep't of Homeland Sec. v. Maclean
Cases on the same legal provision: Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- Bowen v. Massachusetts
- Lujan v. National Wildlife Federation
- Heckler v. Chaney
- Barbara Franklin v. Massachusetts
- Michael E. Lincoln v. Grover Vigil
- R. Gordon Darby v. Henry G. Cisneros
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
- Department of the Navy v. Egan
- Hustler Magazine and Larry C. Flynt v. Jerry Falwell
- Michael Boos, J. Michael Waller and Bridget Brooker v. Marion S. Barry, Jr.Law held unconstitutional
- Richard E. Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association
- Employment Division v. Smith
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