Simopoulos v. Virginia
462 U.S. 506 · Decided June 15, 1983 · 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
Simopoulos v. Virginia was decided on June 15, 1983 by a vote of 8–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Abortion and contraceptives” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 462 U.S. 506 · 103 S. Ct. 2532 · 76 L. Ed. 2d 755 · 1983 U.S. LEXIS 65
- Docket number
- 81-185
- Decided
- June 15, 1983
- Argued
- November 30, 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
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Abortion and contraceptives
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Simopoulos v. Virginia
SCDB identifiers: case 1982-114, docket 1982-114-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Abortion and contraceptives”
- City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Planned Parenthood Association of Kansas City v. AshcroftLaw held unconstitutional
- H. L. v. Matheson
- Harris v. McRae
- Williams v. Zbaraz
- Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Mennonite Board of Missions v. AdamsLaw held unconstitutional
- City of Revere v. Massachusetts General Hospital
- Illinois v. Batchelder
- Kolender v. LawsonLaw held unconstitutional
- Olim v. Wakinekona
- Connecticut v. Johnson
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- Federal Trade Commission v. Grolier Inc.
- City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Planned Parenthood Association of Kansas City v. AshcroftLaw held unconstitutional
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