Webster, Attorney General of Missouri, et al. v. Reproductive Health Services et al.

Decided July 3, 1989. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 88-605 · 492 U.S. 490 (1989) · Cited 490 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 5–4.

“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)
• City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc. · 462 U.S. 416 (1983)
• Griswold v. Connecticut · 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists · 476 U.S. 747 (1986)
• Harris v. McRae · 448 U.S. 297 (1980)
• Colautti v. Franklin · 439 U.S. 379 (1979)
• Maher v. Roe · 432 U.S. 464 (1977)
• Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth · 428 U.S. 52 (1976)
• Poelker v. Doe · 432 U.S. 519 (1977)
• Planned Parenthood Assn. of Kansas City, Mo., Inc. v. Ashcroft · 462 U.S. 476 (1983)
• Deakins v. Monaghan · 484 U.S. 193 (1988)
• Eisenstadt v. Baird · 405 U.S. 438 (1972)
• Daniels v. Williams · 474 U.S. 327 (1986)
• Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority · 469 U.S. 528 (1985)
• Frisby v. Schultz · 487 U.S. 474 (1988)
• Stone v. Graham · 449 U.S. 39 (1980)
• Perry v. Leeke · 488 U.S. 272 (1989)
• Illinois v. Gates · 462 U.S. 213 (1983)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority · 297 U.S. 288 (1936)
• Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. · 348 U.S. 483 (1955)
• West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette · 319 U.S. 624 (1943)
• Loving v. Virginia · 388 U.S. 1 (1967)
• United States v. Munsingwear, Inc. · 340 U.S. 36 (1950)
• Skinner v. Oklahoma Ex Rel. Williamson · 316 U.S. 535 (1942)
• Vasquez v. Hillery · 474 U.S. 254 (1986)
• Doe v. Bolton · 410 U.S. 179 (1973)
• Ferguson v. Skrupa · 372 U.S. 726 (1963)
• Wallace v. Jaffree · 472 U.S. 38 (1985)
• Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc. · 472 U.S. 491 (1985)

Cited by

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

• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey · 505 U.S. 833 (1992)
• Rust v. Sullivan · 500 U.S. 173 (1991)
• Hodgson v. Minnesota · 497 U.S. 417 (1990)
• Stenberg v. Carhart · 530 U.S. 914 (2000)
• Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization · 597 U.S. 215 (2022)
• Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health · 497 U.S. 502 (1990)
• Gonzales v. Carhart · 550 U.S. 124 (2007)
• Renne v. Geary · 501 U.S. 312 (1991)
• United States v. Booker · 543 U.S. 220 (2005)
• City of Chicago v. Morales · 527 U.S. 41 (1999)
• Cruzan Ex Rel. Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health · 497 U.S. 261 (1990)

Official text

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

Explore from here

William Hubbs Rehnquist’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

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).