Califano v. Aznavorian

439 U.S. 170 · Decided December 11, 1978 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Califano v. Aznavorian was decided on December 11, 1978 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Poverty law, constitutional” in the Civil Rights area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Califano, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare v. Aznavorian

SCDB identifiers: case 1978-012, docket 1978-012-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Poverty law, constitutional”

• Quern v. Jordan
  440 U.S. 332Decided March 5, 19799–0William H. Rehnquist
• Califano v. WestcottLaw held unconstitutional
  443 U.S. 76Decided June 25, 19795–4Harry A. Blackmun
• Cleland v. National College of Business
  435 U.S. 213Decided March 20, 19788–1Per curiam
• Califano v. Torres
  435 U.S. 1Decided February 27, 19787–2Per curiam
• Zablocki v. RedhailLaw held unconstitutional
  434 U.S. 374Decided January 18, 19788–1Thurgood Marshall
• Idaho Department of Employment v. Smith
  434 U.S. 100Decided December 5, 19776–3Per curiam

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Cases on the same legal provision: Fifth Amendment (due process)

• Colautti v. FranklinLaw held unconstitutional
  439 U.S. 379Decided January 9, 19796–3Harry A. Blackmun
• Bell v. Wolfish
  441 U.S. 520Decided May 14, 19796–3William H. Rehnquist
• O'Bannon v. Town Court Nursing Center
  447 U.S. 773Decided June 23, 19807–1John Paul Stevens
• Marks v. United States
  430 U.S. 188Decided March 1, 19775–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Moody v. Daggett
  429 U.S. 78Decided November 15, 19767–2Warren E. Burger
• United States v. Darusmont et Ux.
  449 U.S. 292Decided January 12, 19819–0Per curiam

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
  439 U.S. 24Decided November 13, 19785–4Per curiam
• Dougherty County v. White
  439 U.S. 32Decided November 28, 19785–4Thurgood Marshall
• Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
  439 U.S. 60Decided November 28, 19786–3William H. Rehnquist
• Lalli v. Lalli
  439 U.S. 259Decided December 11, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Duren v. MissouriAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  439 U.S. 357Decided January 9, 19798–1Byron R. White
• Harlin v. Missouri
  439 U.S. 459Decided January 15, 19798–1Per curiam

See all

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