Boddie v. Connecticut
401 U.S. 371 · Decided March 2, 1971 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Boddie v. Connecticut was decided on March 2, 1971 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John M. Harlan II wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indigents, costs or filing fees” 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
- 401 U.S. 371 · 91 S. Ct. 780 · 28 L. Ed. 2d 113 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 73
- Docket number
- 27
- Decided
- March 2, 1971
- Argued
- December 8, 1969
- Reargued
- November 17, 1970
- 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
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- John M. Harlan II
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indigents, costs or filing fees
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- 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 Hugo L. Black | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority |
Full case caption
Boddie et al. v. Connecticut et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1970-053, docket 1970-053-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indigents, costs or filing fees”
- Schilb v. Kuebel
- Huffman v. Boersen
- James v. StrangeLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. Kras
- Ortwein v. Schwab
- Gaca v. United States
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Mayberry v. Pennsylvania
- Wisconsin v. ConstantineauLaw held unconstitutional
- McGautha v. California
- Bell v. BursonLaw held unconstitutional
- Palmer v. City of EuclidLaw held unconstitutional
- Coates v. City of CincinnatiLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Oregon v. MitchellLaw held unconstitutional
- Perkins v. Matthews
- Kennerly v. District Court of the Ninth Judicial District of Montana
- Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp.
- Relford v. Commandant, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Ft. Leavenworth
- Tate v. ShortLaw held unconstitutional
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