Bowers v. Hardwick
478 U.S. 186 · Decided June 30, 1986 · 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
Bowers v. Hardwick was decided on June 30, 1986 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Privacy” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 478 U.S. 186 · 106 S. Ct. 2841 · 92 L. Ed. 2d 140 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 123
- Docket number
- 85-140
- Decided
- June 30, 1986
- Argued
- March 31, 1986
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Privacy
- 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Bowers, Attorney General of Georgia v. Hardwick et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-144, docket 1985-144-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Privacy”
- Nixon v. Warner Communications, Inc.
- Vernonia School District 47J v. Wayne Acton
- Whalen v. Roe
- Roy Romer v. Richard G. EvansLaw held unconstitutional
- Walker L. Chandler v. Zell D. MillerLaw held unconstitutional
- Wainwright v. Stone
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- McMillan v. Pennsylvania
- Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsLaw held unconstitutional
- Aetna Life Insurance Co. v. Lavoie
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Colorado v. Connelly
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsLaw 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