Washington, et al. v. Harold Glucksberg et al.

Decided June 26, 1997. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 96-110 · 521 U.S. 702 (1997) · Cited 2,664 times

Holding

Washington’s prohibition against “caus” or “aid” a suicide does not violate the Due Process Clause.

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.

• Cruzan Ex Rel. Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health · 497 U.S. 261 (1990)
• Poe v. Ullman · 367 U.S. 497 (1961)
• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey · 505 U.S. 833 (1992)
• Roe v. Wade · 410 U.S. 113 (1973)
• Reno v. Flores · 507 U.S. 292 (1993)
• Griswold v. Connecticut · 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Skinner v. Oklahoma Ex Rel. Williamson · 316 U.S. 535 (1942)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• United States v. Salerno · 481 U.S. 739 (1987)
• Bolling v. Sharpe · 347 U.S. 497 (1954)
• Moore v. City of East Cleveland · 431 U.S. 494 (1977)
• Lochner v. New York · 198 U.S. 45 (1905)
• Collins v. City of Harker Heights · 503 U.S. 115 (1992)
• Youngberg v. Romeo Ex Rel. Romeo · 457 U.S. 307 (1982)
• Allgeyer v. Louisiana · 165 U.S. 578 (1897)
• Rochin v. California · 342 U.S. 165 (1952)
• Loving v. Virginia · 388 U.S. 1 (1967)
• Palko v. Connecticut · 302 U.S. 319 (1937)
• Carey v. Population Services International · 431 U.S. 678 (1977)
• Snyder v. Massachusetts · 291 U.S. 97 (1934)
• Eisenstadt v. Baird · 405 U.S. 438 (1972)
• Washington v. Harper · 494 U.S. 210 (1990)
• Adkins v. Children's Hospital of Columbia · 261 U.S. 525 (1923)
• Gregg v. Georgia · 428 U.S. 153 (1976)
• Daniels v. Williams · 474 U.S. 327 (1986)
• City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center, Inc. · 473 U.S. 432 (1985)
• Turner v. Safley · 482 U.S. 78 (1987)
• Broadrick v. Oklahoma · 413 U.S. 601 (1973)
• Meachum v. Fano · 427 U.S. 215 (1976)
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez · 411 U.S. 1 (1973)

Cited by

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

• McDonald v. City of Chicago · 561 U.S. 742 (2010)
• Obergefell v. Hodges · 576 U.S. 644 (2015)
• County of Sacramento v. Lewis · 523 U.S. 833 (1998)
• Kerry v. Din · 576 U.S. 86 (2015)
• Department of State v. Munoz · 602 U.S. 899 (2024)
• United States v. Windsor · 570 U.S. 744 (2013)
• Troxel v. Granville · 530 U.S. 57 (2000)
• City of Chicago v. Morales · 527 U.S. 41 (1999)
• Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization · 597 U.S. 215 (2022)
• Lawrence v. Texas · 539 U.S. 558 (2003)
• Chavez v. Martinez · 538 U.S. 760 (2003)
• Gonzales v. Carhart · 550 U.S. 124 (2007)
• District Attorney's Office for the Third Judicial District v. Osborne · 557 U.S. 52 (2009)
• Kingsley v. Hendrickson · 576 U.S. 389 (2015)
• Gonzales v. Oregon · 546 U.S. 243 (2006)
• Washington State Grange v. Washington State Republican Party · 552 U.S. 442 (2008)
• Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Inc. · 587 U.S. 490 (2019)
• United States v. Stevens · 559 U.S. 460 (2010)
• Boumediene v. Bush · 553 U.S. 723 (2008)
• City of Monterey v. Del Monte Dunes at Monterey, Ltd. · 526 U.S. 687 (1999)
• Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Assn. · 564 U.S. 786 (2011)
• Crawford v. Marion County Election Board · 553 U.S. 181 (2008)
• Stenberg v. Carhart · 530 U.S. 914 (2000)
• United States v. Rahimi · 602 U.S. 680 (2024)
• City of Cuyahoga Falls v. Buckeye Community Hope Foundation · 538 U.S. 188 (2003)
• United States v. Skrmetti · 605 U.S. 495 (2025)

Official text

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

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1997). 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).