Kolender v. Lawson
461 U.S. 352 · Decided May 2, 1983 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Kolender v. Lawson was decided on May 2, 1983 by a vote of 7–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, miscellaneous” in the Due Process area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 461 U.S. 352 · 103 S. Ct. 1855 · 75 L. Ed. 2d 903 · 1983 U.S. LEXIS 159
- Docket number
- 81-1320
- Decided
- May 2, 1983
- Argued
- November 8, 1982
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Due Process
- 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 William J. Brennan Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Kolender, Chief of Police of San Diego, et al. v. Lawson
SCDB identifiers: case 1982-074, docket 1982-074-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, miscellaneous”
- Jones v. United States
- Landon v. Plasencia
- Youngberg v. Romeo
- Board of Education of Paris Union School District No. 95 v. Vail
- California v. Trombetta
- Wasman v. United States
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Olim v. Wakinekona
- City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Planned Parenthood Association of Kansas City v. AshcroftLaw held unconstitutional
- Simopoulos v. Virginia
- Mennonite Board of Missions v. AdamsLaw held unconstitutional
- City of Revere v. Massachusetts General Hospital
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Landon v. Plasencia
- Hewitt v. Helms
- Olim v. Wakinekona
- Mennonite Board of Missions v. AdamsLaw held unconstitutional
- City of Revere v. Massachusetts General Hospital
- Jones v. United States
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