Maher, Commissioner of Social Services of Connecticut v. Roe et al.

Decided June 20, 1977. Lewis Franklin Powell Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 75-1440 · 432 U.S. 464 (1977) · Cited 748 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.

• Roe v. Wade · 410 U.S. 113 (1973)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• Sherbert v. Verner · 374 U.S. 398 (1963)
• Carey v. Population Services International · 431 U.S. 678 (1977)
• Memorial Hospital v. Maricopa County · 415 U.S. 250 (1974)
• Boddie v. Connecticut · 401 U.S. 371 (1971)
• Singleton v. Wulff · 428 U.S. 106 (1976)
• Griffin v. Illinois · 351 U.S. 12 (1956)
• Doe v. Bolton · 410 U.S. 179 (1973)
• Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth · 428 U.S. 52 (1976)
• Bellotti v. Baird · 428 U.S. 132 (1976)
• Douglas v. California · 372 U.S. 353 (1963)
• Buckley v. Valeo · 424 U.S. 1 (1976)
• Dandridge v. Williams · 397 U.S. 471 (1970)
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez · 411 U.S. 1 (1973)
• Massachusetts Board of Retirement v. Murgia · 427 U.S. 307 (1976)
• Whalen v. Roe · 429 U.S. 589 (1977)
• Lindsey v. Normet · 405 U.S. 56 (1972)
• Norwood v. Harrison · 413 U.S. 455 (1973)
• Brown v. Board of Education · 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
• Reynolds v. Sims · 377 U.S. 533 (1964)
• National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Button · 371 U.S. 415 (1963)
• Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. · 348 U.S. 483 (1955)
• Hagans v. Lavine · 415 U.S. 528 (1974)
• Dunn v. Blumstein · 405 U.S. 330 (1972)
• Skinner v. Oklahoma Ex Rel. Williamson · 316 U.S. 535 (1942)
• United States v. Kras · 409 U.S. 434 (1973)
• American Party of Texas v. White · 415 U.S. 767 (1974)
• Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Township of Willingboro · 431 U.S. 85 (1977)

Cited by

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

• Harris v. McRae · 448 U.S. 297 (1980)
• Webster v. Reproductive Health Services · 492 U.S. 490 (1989)
• City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc. · 462 U.S. 416 (1983)
• Rust v. Sullivan · 500 U.S. 173 (1991)
• Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic · 506 U.S. 263 (1993)
• Regan v. Taxation With Representation of Washington · 461 U.S. 540 (1983)
• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey · 505 U.S. 833 (1992)
• Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists · 476 U.S. 747 (1986)
• H. L. v. Matheson · 450 U.S. 398 (1981)
• United States v. Windsor · 570 U.S. 744 (2013)
• Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health · 497 U.S. 502 (1990)
• Hodgson v. Minnesota · 497 U.S. 417 (1990)
• Colautti v. Franklin · 439 U.S. 379 (1979)
• Roberts v. United States · 445 U.S. 552 (1980)
• Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization · 597 U.S. 215 (2022)
• Lewis v. Casey · 518 U.S. 343 (1996)
• Youngberg v. Romeo Ex Rel. Romeo · 457 U.S. 307 (1982)
• Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. · 473 U.S. 788 (1985)
• First Nat. Bank of Boston v. Bellotti · 435 U.S. 765 (1978)
• Schweiker v. Wilson · 450 U.S. 221 (1981)
• Minneapolis Star & Tribune Co. v. Minnesota Commissioner of Revenue · 460 U.S. 575 (1983)
• National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley · 524 U.S. 569 (1998)
• Arkansas Writers' Project, Inc. v. Ragland · 481 U.S. 221 (1987)
• Chemical Manufacturers Ass'n v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. · 470 U.S. 116 (1985)
• Kadrmas v. Dickinson Public Schools · 487 U.S. 450 (1988)
• Michael M. v. Superior Court of Sonoma County · 450 U.S. 464 (1981)
• Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. American Train Dispatchers' Ass'n · 499 U.S. 117 (1991)
• Legal Services Corp. v. Velazquez · 531 U.S. 533 (2001)
• Lyng v. International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, & Agricultural Implement Workers · 485 U.S. 360 (1988)
• Califano v. Westcott · 443 U.S. 76 (1979)

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).