Zablocki v. Redhail
434 U.S. 374 · Decided January 18, 1978 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Zablocki v. Redhail was decided on January 18, 1978 by a vote of 8–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Poverty law, constitutional” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 434 U.S. 374 · 98 S. Ct. 673 · 54 L. Ed. 2d 618 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 57
- Docket number
- 76-879
- Decided
- January 18, 1978
- Argued
- October 4, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Poverty law, constitutional
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Zablocki, Milwaukee County Clerk v. Redhail
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-029, docket 1977-029-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Poverty law, constitutional”
- Califano v. Torres
- Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
- Cleland v. National College of Business
- Califano v. Jobst
- Califano v. Aznavorian
- Knebel v. Hein
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Foley v. Connelie
- County Board of Arlington County v. Richards
- Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
- School District of Omaha v. United States
- Brennan v. Armstrong
- Dayton Board of Education v. Brinkman
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Califano v. Jobst
- Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
- Nashville Gas Co. v. Satty
- Richmond Unified School District v. Berg
- United Air Lines, Inc. v. McMann
- Quilloin v. Walcott et Vir
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