Wainwright v. Stone
414 U.S. 21 · Decided November 5, 1973 · 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
Wainwright v. Stone was decided on November 5, 1973 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Privacy” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 414 U.S. 21 · 94 S. Ct. 190 · 38 L. Ed. 2d 179 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 169
- Docket number
- 73-122
- Decided
- November 5, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Privacy
- 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 O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | 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 |
Full case caption
Wainwright, Corrections Director, et al. v. Stone et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1973-007, docket 1973-007-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Privacy”
- Whalen v. Roe
- Nixon v. Warner Communications, Inc.
- Griswold v. ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
- Bowers v. Hardwick
- Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia v. Pollak
- Vernonia School District 47J v. Wayne Acton
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Cupp v. Naughten
- North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy v. Snyder's Drug Stores, Inc.Altered precedent
- Vachon v. New Hampshire
- Cleveland Board of Education v. Lafleur
- Smith v. GoguenLaw held unconstitutional
- Vlandis v. KlineLaw 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