In re McDonald
489 U.S. 180 · Decided February 21, 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
In re McDonald was decided on February 21, 1989 by a vote of 5–4. SCDB codes the disposition as “petition denied or appeal dismissed.” The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indigents, miscellaneous” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 489 U.S. 180 · 109 S. Ct. 993 · 103 L. Ed. 2d 158 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 597
- Docket number
- 88-5890
- Decided
- February 21, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Petition denied or appeal dismissed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Docketing fee
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indigents, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Supreme Court Rules
- Type of law
- Court rules
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
In re McDonald
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-036, docket 1988-036-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indigents, miscellaneous”
- Neitzke v. Williams
- In re Michael Sindram
- James Rowland v. California Men's Colony
- John Robert Demos, Jr. v. Michael C. Storrie
- Roy A. Day v. Donald P. Day
- In re George Sassower
Cases on the same legal provision: Supreme Court Rules
- Wrenn v. Benson
- Vladimir Zatko v. California
- James L. Martin v. District of Columbia Court of Appeals
- Izumi Seimitsu Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha v. U. S. Philips Corporation
- In re Fred Whitaker
- Fred A. Whitaker v. Superior Court of California
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Town of Huntington v. Huntington Branch
- Penson v. Ohio
- Pittston Coal Group v. Sebben
- Owens v. Okure
- City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson CompanyLaw held unconstitutional
- Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services
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