Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
492 U.S. 490 · Decided July 3, 1989 · 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
Webster v. Reproductive Health Services was decided on July 3, 1989 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Abortion and contraceptives” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 492 U.S. 490 · 109 S. Ct. 3040 · 106 L. Ed. 2d 410 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 3290
- Docket number
- 88-605
- Decided
- July 3, 1989
- Argued
- April 26, 1989
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Abortion and contraceptives
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- 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 | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Webster, Attorney General of Missouri, et al. v. Reproductive Health Services et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-150, docket 1988-150-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Abortion and contraceptives”
- Hodgson v. MinnesotaLaw held unconstitutional
- Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health
- Neal F. Hartigan v. David Zbaraz and Allan G. Charles Etc.Law held unconstitutional
- Irving Rust v. Sullivan
- Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Robert P. Casey, Etc.Altered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Leona Benten v. David Kessler
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Michael H. v. Gerald D.
- Carella v. California
- Kentucky Department of Corrections v. Thompson
- Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services
- National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Jerry Tarkanian
- Arizona v. Youngblood
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- United States Department of Justice v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- Public Citizen v. United States Department of Justice
- United States Department of Justice v. Tax Analysts
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