Daniels v. Williams

Decided January 21, 1986. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 84-5872 · 474 U.S. 327 (1986) · Cited 7,676 times

Holding

The Due Process Clause is not implicated by a state official's negligent act causing unintended loss of or injury to life, liberty, or property.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 9–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Parratt v. Taylor · 451 U.S. 527 (1981)
• Hudson v. Palmer · 468 U.S. 517 (1984)
• Ingraham v. Wright · 430 U.S. 651 (1977)
• Wolff v. McDonnell · 418 U.S. 539 (1974)
• Monroe v. Pape · 365 U.S. 167 (1961)
• Estelle v. Gamble · 429 U.S. 97 (1976)
• Baker v. McCollan · 443 U.S. 137 (1979)
• Rochin v. California · 342 U.S. 165 (1952)
• Martinez v. California · 444 U.S. 277 (1980)
• Groppi v. Leslie · 404 U.S. 496 (1972)
• South v. Maryland Ex Rel. Pottle · 59 U.S. 396 (1856)
• Mapp v. Ohio · 367 U.S. 643 (1961)
• Cleveland Board of Education v. Loudermill · 470 U.S. 532 (1985)
• Roe v. Wade · 410 U.S. 113 (1973)
• Paul v. Davis · 424 U.S. 693 (1976)
• Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp. · 429 U.S. 252 (1977)
• Benton v. Maryland · 395 U.S. 784 (1969)
• Fuentes v. Shevin · 407 U.S. 67 (1972)
• Duncan v. Louisiana · 391 U.S. 145 (1968)
• Malloy v. Hogan · 378 U.S. 1 (1964)
• Carey v. Piphus · 435 U.S. 247 (1978)
• Goss v. Lopez · 419 U.S. 565 (1975)
• Bishop v. Wood · 426 U.S. 341 (1976)
• Logan v. Zimmerman Brush Co. · 455 U.S. 422 (1982)
• Youngberg v. Romeo Ex Rel. Romeo · 457 U.S. 307 (1982)
• Robinson v. California · 370 U.S. 660 (1962)
• Smith v. Wade · 461 U.S. 30 (1983)
• Bell v. Burson · 402 U.S. 535 (1971)
• In Re Oliver · 333 U.S. 257 (1948)
• Moore v. City of East Cleveland · 431 U.S. 494 (1977)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• County of Sacramento v. Lewis · 523 U.S. 833 (1998)
• Albright v. Oliver · 510 U.S. 266 (1994)
• DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services · 489 U.S. 189 (1989)
• Kingsley v. Hendrickson · 576 U.S. 389 (2015)
• Zinermon v. Burch · 494 U.S. 113 (1990)
• Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank · 527 U.S. 627 (1999)
• Allen v. Cooper · 589 U.S. 248 (2020)
• Collins v. City of Harker Heights · 503 U.S. 115 (1992)
• Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. · 551 U.S. 449 (2007)
• Webster v. Reproductive Health Services · 492 U.S. 490 (1989)
• West v. Atkins · 487 U.S. 42 (1988)
• Farmer v. Brennan · 511 U.S. 825 (1994)
• Board of the County Commissioners of Bryan County v. Brown · 520 U.S. 397 (1997)
• Whitley v. Albers · 475 U.S. 312 (1986)
• Payne v. Tennessee · 501 U.S. 808 (1991)
• BMW of North America, Inc. v. Gore · 517 U.S. 559 (1996)
• Washington v. Glucksberg · 521 U.S. 702 (1997)
• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey · 505 U.S. 833 (1992)
• Pacific Mutual Life Insurance v. Haslip · 499 U.S. 1 (1991)
• Foucha v. Louisiana · 504 U.S. 71 (1992)
• Schweiker v. Chilicky · 487 U.S. 412 (1988)
• Browning-Ferris Industries of Vermont, Inc. v. Kelco Disposal, Inc. · 492 U.S. 257 (1989)
• City of Monterey v. Del Monte Dunes at Monterey, Ltd. · 526 U.S. 687 (1999)
• Gilbert v. Homar · 520 U.S. 924 (1997)
• South Carolina v. Gathers · 490 U.S. 805 (1989)
• Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization · 597 U.S. 215 (2022)
• Culley v. Marshall · 601 U.S. 377 (2024)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1986). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).