Neal F. Hartigan v. David Zbaraz and Allan G. Charles Etc.
484 U.S. 171 · Decided December 14, 1987 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Neal F. Hartigan v. David Zbaraz and Allan G. Charles Etc. was decided on December 14, 1987 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Abortion and contraceptives” in the Privacy area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 484 U.S. 171 · 108 S. Ct. 479 · 98 L. Ed. 2d 478 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 5210
- Docket number
- 85-673
- Decided
- December 14, 1987
- Argued
- November 3, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Abortion and contraceptives
- Issue area
- Privacy
- 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. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Equally divided vote |
Full case caption
Neal F. Hartigan, Attorney General of the State of Illinois, Etc., et al. v. David Zbaraz and Allan G. Charles Etc.
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-012, docket 1987-012-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Abortion and contraceptives”
- Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsLaw held unconstitutional
- Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
- Hodgson v. MinnesotaLaw held unconstitutional
- Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health
- Irving Rust v. Sullivan
- City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
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