Zablocki, Milwaukee County Clerk v. Redhail

Decided January 18, 1978. Thurgood Marshall delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 76-879 · 434 U.S. 374 (1978) · Cited 1,224 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 8–1.

“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.

• Loving v. Virginia · 388 U.S. 1 (1967)
• Boddie v. Connecticut · 401 U.S. 371 (1971)
• Griswold v. Connecticut · 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Skinner v. Oklahoma Ex Rel. Williamson · 316 U.S. 535 (1942)
• Roe v. Wade · 410 U.S. 113 (1973)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez · 411 U.S. 1 (1973)
• Huffman v. Pursue, Ltd. · 420 U.S. 592 (1975)
• Younger v. Harris · 401 U.S. 37 (1971)
• Craig v. Boren · 429 U.S. 190 (1976)
• Sosna v. Iowa · 419 U.S. 393 (1975)
• Moore v. City of East Cleveland · 431 U.S. 494 (1977)
• Carey v. Population Services International · 431 U.S. 678 (1977)
• Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur · 414 U.S. 632 (1974)
• United States v. Kras · 409 U.S. 434 (1973)
• Prince v. Massachusetts · 321 U.S. 158 (1944)
• Burford v. Sun Oil Co. · 319 U.S. 315 (1943)
• Whalen v. Roe · 429 U.S. 589 (1977)
• East Texas Motor Freight System, Inc. v. Rodriguez · 431 U.S. 395 (1977)
• Smith v. Organization of Foster Families for Equality & Reform · 431 U.S. 816 (1977)
• Williams v. Illinois · 399 U.S. 235 (1970)
• Memorial Hospital v. Maricopa County · 415 U.S. 250 (1974)
• Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States · 424 U.S. 800 (1976)
• Baker v. Carr · 369 U.S. 186 (1962)
• Paul v. Davis · 424 U.S. 693 (1976)
• Broadrick v. Oklahoma · 413 U.S. 601 (1973)
• Dandridge v. Williams · 397 U.S. 471 (1970)
• Griffin v. Illinois · 351 U.S. 12 (1956)
• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. · 348 U.S. 483 (1955)

Cited by

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

• Obergefell v. Hodges · 576 U.S. 644 (2015)
• Kerry v. Din · 576 U.S. 86 (2015)
• Bowen v. Gilliard · 483 U.S. 587 (1987)
• Turner v. Safley · 482 U.S. 78 (1987)
• Roberts v. United States Jaycees · 468 U.S. 609 (1984)
• Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of Ohio · 471 U.S. 626 (1985)
• Schall v. Martin · 467 U.S. 253 (1984)
• Block v. Rutherford · 468 U.S. 576 (1984)
• H. L. v. Matheson · 450 U.S. 398 (1981)
• Lyng v. Castillo · 477 U.S. 635 (1986)
• Department of State v. Munoz · 602 U.S. 899 (2024)
• Bearden v. Georgia · 461 U.S. 660 (1983)
• United States Parole Commission v. Geraghty · 445 U.S. 388 (1980)
• Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah · 508 U.S. 520 (1993)
• New Orleans Public Service, Inc. v. Council of City of New Orleans · 491 U.S. 350 (1989)
• Washington v. Harper · 494 U.S. 210 (1990)
• Hunt v. Cromartie · 526 U.S. 541 (1999)
• Cruzan Ex Rel. Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health · 497 U.S. 261 (1990)
• City of Mobile v. Bolden · 446 U.S. 55 (1980)
• Board of Directors of Rotary International v. Rotary Club of Duarte · 481 U.S. 537 (1987)
• Lyng v. International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, & Agricultural Implement Workers · 485 U.S. 360 (1988)
• Califano v. Aznavorian · 439 U.S. 170 (1978)
• Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton · 606 U.S. 461 (2025)

Official text

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

Explore from here

Thurgood Marshall’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).