John Doe Agency and John Doe Government Agency v. John Doe Corporation
493 U.S. 146 · Decided December 11, 1989 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
John Doe Agency and John Doe Government Agency v. John Doe Corporation was decided on December 11, 1989 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Freedom of Information Act and related laws” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 493 U.S. 146 · 110 S. Ct. 471 · 107 L. Ed. 2d 462 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 5837
- Docket number
- 88-1083
- Decided
- December 11, 1989
- Argued
- October 2, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Freedom of Information Act and related laws
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Freedom of Information, Sunshine, or Privacy Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
John Doe Agency and John Doe Government Agency v. John Doe Corporation
SCDB identifiers: case 1989-012, docket 1989-012-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Freedom of Information Act and related laws”
- United States Department of Justice v. Tax Analysts
- Public Citizen v. United States Department of Justice
- United States Department of Justice v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- United States Department of State v. Michael D. Ray
- Church of Scientology of California v. Internal Revenue Service
- Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale v. United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
Cases on the same legal provision: Freedom of Information, Sunshine, or Privacy Act
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- Cruzan v. Director
- Hodgson v. MinnesotaLaw held unconstitutional
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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