Lynch et al. v. Household Finance Corp. et al.

Decided March 23, 1972. Potter Stewart delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 70-5058 · 405 U.S. 538 (1972) · Cited 648 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 7–0.

“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.

• Hill v. Martin · 296 U.S. 393 (1935)
• Haguer v. Committee for Industrial Organization · 307 U.S. 496 (1939)
• Perez v. Ledesma · 401 U.S. 82 (1971)
• Stefanelli v. Minard · 342 U.S. 117 (1951)
• Younger v. Harris · 401 U.S. 37 (1971)
• Monroe v. Pape · 365 U.S. 167 (1961)
• United States v. Price · 383 U.S. 787 (1966)
• Zwickler v. Koota · 389 U.S. 241 (1967)
• Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co. · 392 U.S. 409 (1968)
• Cameron v. Johnson · 390 U.S. 611 (1968)
• Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Federal Bureau of Narcotics · 403 U.S. 388 (1971)
• Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co. · 398 U.S. 144 (1970)
• Baker v. Carr · 369 U.S. 186 (1962)
• Goldberg v. Kelly · 397 U.S. 254 (1970)
• Dandridge v. Williams · 397 U.S. 471 (1970)
• Dombrowski v. Pfister · 380 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Screws v. United States · 325 U.S. 91 (1945)
• Shelley v. Kraemer · 334 U.S. 1 (1948)
• Sniadach v. Family Finance Corp. of Bay View · 395 U.S. 337 (1969)
• Rosado v. Wyman · 397 U.S. 397 (1970)
• King v. Smith · 392 U.S. 309 (1968)
• SAMUELS Et Al. v. MACKELL, DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF QUEENS COUNTY, Et Al. · 401 U.S. 66 (1971)
• Douglas v. City of Jeannette · 319 U.S. 157 (1943)
• Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc. · 396 U.S. 229 (1969)
• Rinaldi v. Yeager · 384 U.S. 305 (1966)
• Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. v. Huffman · 319 U.S. 293 (1943)
• Idlewild Bon Voyage Liquor Corp. v. Epstein · 370 U.S. 713 (1962)
• Oestereich v. Selective Service System Local Board No. 11 · 393 U.S. 233 (1968)
• Posadas v. National City Bank · 296 U.S. 497 (1936)
• Matthews v. Rodgers · 284 U.S. 521 (1932)

Cited by

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

• Dennis v. Higgins · 498 U.S. 439 (1991)
• Maine v. Thiboutot · 448 U.S. 1 (1980)
• Chapman v. Houston Welfare Rights Organization · 441 U.S. 600 (1979)
• Lugar v. Edmondson Oil Co. · 457 U.S. 922 (1982)
• Trainor v. Hernandez · 431 U.S. 434 (1977)
• Examining Bd. of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors v. Flores De Otero · 426 U.S. 572 (1976)
• Preiser v. Rodriguez · 411 U.S. 475 (1973)
• Fuentes v. Shevin · 407 U.S. 67 (1972)
• Zinermon v. Burch · 494 U.S. 113 (1990)
• District of Columbia v. Carter · 409 U.S. 418 (1973)
• Moe v. Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation · 425 U.S. 463 (1976)
• Gonzalez v. Automatic Employees Credit Union · 419 U.S. 90 (1974)
• Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic · 606 U.S. 357 (2025)

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).