Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
476 U.S. 747 · Decided June 11, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists was decided on June 11, 1986 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. 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
- 476 U.S. 747 · 106 S. Ct. 2169 · 90 L. Ed. 2d 779 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 54
- Docket number
- 84-495
- Decided
- June 11, 1986
- Argued
- November 5, 1985
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Abortion and contraceptives
- Issue area
- Privacy
- 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Thornburgh, Governor of Pennsylvania, et al. v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-106, docket 1985-106-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Abortion and contraceptives”
- Neal F. Hartigan v. David Zbaraz and Allan G. Charles Etc.Law held unconstitutional
- 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
- Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
- Hodgson v. MinnesotaLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- McMillan v. Pennsylvania
- Bowers v. Hardwick
- Aetna Life Insurance Co. v. Lavoie
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Wainwright v. Greenfield
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