Whalen v. Roe
429 U.S. 589 · Decided February 22, 1977 · 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
Whalen v. Roe was decided on February 22, 1977 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Privacy” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 429 U.S. 589 · 97 S. Ct. 869 · 51 L. Ed. 2d 64 · 1977 U.S. LEXIS 42
- Docket number
- 75-839
- Decided
- February 22, 1977
- Argued
- October 13, 1976
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- 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)
- 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 J. Brennan Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| 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 |
Full case caption
Whalen, Commissioner of Health of New York v. Roe et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1976-047, docket 1976-047-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Privacy”
- Nixon v. Warner Communications, Inc.
- Wainwright v. Stone
- Bowers v. Hardwick
- Griswold v. ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
- Vernonia School District 47J v. Wayne Acton
- Roy Romer v. Richard G. EvansLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Codd v. Velger
- Connally v. GeorgiaLaw held unconstitutional
- Bounds v. Smith
- Dixon v. Love
- Henderson v. Kibbe
- Moore v. City of East ClevelandLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- Guste v. Jackson
- Carey v. Population Services InternationalLaw held unconstitutional
- Beal v. Doe
- Maher v. Roe
- Poelker v. Doe
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