Reed v. Campbell
476 U.S. 852 · Decided June 11, 1986 · 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
Reed v. Campbell was decided on June 11, 1986 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Rights of illegitimates” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 476 U.S. 852 · 106 S. Ct. 2234 · 90 L. Ed. 2d 858 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 56
- Docket number
- 85-755
- Decided
- June 11, 1986
- Argued
- April 30, 1986
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Rights of illegitimates
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| 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 | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Reed v. Campbell, Individually and as Administratrix of the Estate of Ricker
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-108, docket 1985-108-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Rights of illegitimates”
- Clark v. JeterLaw held unconstitutional
- Pickett v. BrownLaw held unconstitutional
- Mills v. HabluetzelLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. Clark
- Califano v. Boles
- Lalli v. Lalli
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Attorney General of New York v. Soto-LopezLaw held unconstitutional
- Davis v. Bandemer
- Posadas de Puerto Rico Associates v. Tourism Company of Puerto Rico
- Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education
- Batson v. KentuckyAltered precedent
- United States v. Paradise
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
- Green v. Mansour
- Vasquez v. Hillery
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Malley v. Briggs
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