Washington v. Harper

Washington v. Harper
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued October 11, 1989
Decided February 27, 1990
Full case nameWashington, et al., Petitioners v. Walter Harper
Citations494 U.S. 210 (more)
110 S. Ct. 1028; 108 L. Ed. 2d 178; 1990 U.S. LEXIS 1174; 58 U.S.L.W. 4249
Holding
The Due Process Clause permits a state to treat an incarcerated inmate having a serious mental disorder with antipsychotic medication against his will, under the condition that he is dangerous to himself or others and the medication prescribed is in his best medical interest.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
William J. Brennan Jr. · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
Case opinions
MajorityKennedy, joined by unanimous (part II); Rehnquist, White, Blackmun, O'Connor, Scalia (parts I, III, IV, V)
ConcurrenceBlackmun
Concur/dissentStevens, joined by Brennan, Marshall
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. XIV

Washington v. Harper, 494 U.S. 210 (1990), was a United States Supreme Court case in which an incarcerated inmate sued the state of Washington over the issue of involuntary medication, specifically antipsychotic medication.[1]

  1. ^ Washington v. Harper, 494 U.S. 210 (1990).