H. L. v. Matheson, Governor of Utah, et al.

Decided March 23, 1981. Warren Earl Burger delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 79-5903 · 450 U.S. 398 (1981) · Cited 271 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–3.

“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.

• Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth · 428 U.S. 52 (1976)
• Bellotti v. Baird · 443 U.S. 622 (1979)
• Parham v. J. R. · 442 U.S. 584 (1979)
• Roe v. Wade · 410 U.S. 113 (1973)
• Doe v. Bolton · 410 U.S. 179 (1973)
• Harris v. McRae · 448 U.S. 297 (1980)
• Carey v. Population Services International · 431 U.S. 678 (1977)
• Griswold v. Connecticut · 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Prince v. Massachusetts · 321 U.S. 158 (1944)
• Moore v. City of East Cleveland · 431 U.S. 494 (1977)
• Maher v. Roe · 432 U.S. 464 (1977)
• Warth v. Seldin · 422 U.S. 490 (1975)
• Wisconsin v. Yoder · 406 U.S. 205 (1972)
• Ginsberg v. New York · 390 U.S. 629 (1968)
• Kleppe v. New Mexico · 426 U.S. 529 (1976)
• Stanley v. Illinois · 405 U.S. 645 (1972)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• Whalen v. Roe · 429 U.S. 589 (1977)
• Quilloin v. Walcott · 434 U.S. 246 (1978)
• Zablocki v. Redhail · 434 U.S. 374 (1978)
• Poe v. Ullman · 367 U.S. 497 (1961)
• Bellotti v. Baird · 428 U.S. 132 (1976)
• In Re GAULT · 387 U.S. 1 (1967)
• Singleton v. Wulff · 428 U.S. 106 (1976)
• Brown v. Board of Education · 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
• O'Shea v. Littleton · 414 U.S. 488 (1974)
• Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin · 417 U.S. 156 (1974)
• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District · 393 U.S. 503 (1969)
• Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority · 297 U.S. 288 (1936)
• National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Button · 371 U.S. 415 (1963)

Cited by

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

• Hodgson v. Minnesota · 497 U.S. 417 (1990)
• City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc. · 462 U.S. 416 (1983)
• Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health · 497 U.S. 502 (1990)
• Planned Parenthood Assn. of Kansas City, Mo., Inc. v. Ashcroft · 462 U.S. 476 (1983)
• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey · 505 U.S. 833 (1992)
• Bolger v. Youngs Drug Products Corp. · 463 U.S. 60 (1983)
• Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists · 476 U.S. 747 (1986)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 465 U.S. 89 (1984)
• Idaho v. Coeur D'Alene Tribe of Idaho · 521 U.S. 261 (1997)
• Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization · 597 U.S. 215 (2022)
• Gratz v. Bollinger · 539 U.S. 244 (2003)

Official text

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

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). 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).