Coe v. Coe
334 U.S. 378 · No. 37 · 1947 term · Vinson Court
Decided Jun 7, 1948 · argued Oct 14, 1947
Due process · Due process: jurisdiction
Majority opinion: Frederick Vinson
The voteMajorityDissent
7–27 in the majority, 2 in dissent
2 dissents (7–2)
Reversed. Coe won.
What this ruling means
Reversed: the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, and its own ruling ends the case.
Coe was the petitioner, the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the case. “Won” means the Court gave that side the result it asked for.
From the Supreme Court Database. A justice who agreed with the result but not the reasoning counts in the majority.
Summary
The opening of the case’s Wikipedia article: what the case was about and what the Court held.
Wikipedia has no article on this case, so there is no summary.
Data notes
The text is Wikipedia’s (CC BY-SA 4.0), matched to the case by its citation, docket number or name and year, and is not checked against the opinion. The site keeps the article’s opening section, ending on its last full sentence. The one-sentence summary under the title is the Decisions list’s: Wikipedia’s own ruling sentence, or, tagged “AI-written”, one Claude wrote from this opening.
How the justices voted
Each justice who took part, placed by their Martin–Quinn ideology score for the 1947 term. Filled: the 7 in the majority. Hollow: the 2 in dissent. Colour is the party of the president who appointed them.
Majority(7)
Frederick VinsonWrote the majority opinion
Hugo BlackJoined the majority
Wiley RutledgeJoined the majority
William DouglasJoined the majority
Stanley ReedJoined the majority
Harold BurtonJoined the majority
Robert JacksonJoined the majority
Dissent(2)
Felix FrankfurterWrote a dissent
Frank MurphyJoined a dissent
Data notes
Each justice’s vote and what they wrote are from the justice-centered file of the Supreme Court Database. “Wrote a concurrence” means the justice sided with the majority and wrote separately; a justice who dissented in part is counted on the side they took overall. A justice who wrote nothing is listed as joining their side.
Positions are each justice’s Martin–Quinn score for the case’s term, the same scores as the Ideology page: negative is more liberal, positive more conservative. A score sums up a justice’s votes across the whole term, so it says where they usually sit, not why they voted as they did here. The median line is the Court’s median justice that term.
The parties
Who brought the case to the Court, who answered it, and how it got there.
- Petitioner
- CoeHusband, or ex-husband
- Respondent
- CoeWife, or ex-wife
- Reached the Court by
- Certiorari (the Court chose to hear it)
Data notes
The names are the two sides of the case’s title. The description under each is the Supreme Court Database’s category for that party, in its own wording. The petitioner is the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the decision below. “Why it was taken” appears only when the majority opinion says lower courts disagreed or were unsure about the question; reasons that would fit any case (“to resolve the question presented”, “an important question”) are left out.
The law at issue
The law the Court was asked to apply, and the kind of power it used to decide.
- Provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Kind of law
- Constitutional Amendment
- Decided by
- Judicial review (state level)
Data notes
The Supreme Court Database codes the main constitutional provision, statute or court rule each case turned on, and the basis of the decision: judicial review of a federal or state law, interpreting a statute, supervising the lower courts, and so on. A case can rest on more than one. “Overruled” counts only where the majority opinion says so.
Timeline
What happened at the Court and how the case got there, newest first.
- Jun 7, 1948DecidedDecided · Decided 7–2: reversed. Coe won.
- Oct 14, 1947ArguedArgued · Oral argument before the Court.
- Not datedTaken upTaken up · The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case (certiorari).
- Not datedCourt belowCourt below · Decided by the Massachusetts Supreme Court: affirmed.
- Not datedBeganBegan · The case began in the Massachusetts trial court.
Data notes
From the Supreme Court Database: the court the case began in, the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed and what that court did, how the case came to the Court, and the dates of argument and decision. The database does not date the steps in the lower courts. Court names are the database’s.
Other decisions on the same issue
34 other argued cases since 1946 on due process: jurisdiction, newest first.
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- BNSF Railway Co. v. Tyrrell137 S. Ct. 1549May 30, 2017 · 137 S. Ct. 1549Due process8–18–1 band
- Walden v. Fiore571 U.S. 277Feb 25, 2014 · 571 U.S. 277Due process9–0Unanimous band
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- J. McIntyre Machinery, Ltd., Petitioner v. Robert Nicastro, Individually and As Administrator of the Estate of Roseanne Nicastro564 U.S. 873Jun 27, 2011 · 564 U.S. 873Due process6–36–3 band
- Goodyear Dunlop Tires Operations, S.A., et al., Petitioners v. Edgar D. Brown, et ux., Co-Administrators of the Estate of Julian David Brown, et al.564 U.S. 915Jun 27, 2011 · 564 U.S. 915Due process9–0Unanimous band
- Reynoldsville Casket Co., et al. v. Carol L. Hyde514 U.S. 749May 15, 1995 · 514 U.S. 749Due process9–0Unanimous band
- Burnham v. Superior Court of California, County of Marin (Burnham, Real Party in Interest)495 U.S. 604May 29, 1990 · 495 U.S. 604Due process9–0Unanimous band
- Bendix Autolite Corp. v. Midwesco Enterprises, Inc., et al.486 U.S. 888Jun 17, 1988 · 486 U.S. 888Due process8–18–1 band
- Sun Oil Co. v. Wortman et al.486 U.S. 717Jun 15, 1988 · 486 U.S. 717Due process6–27–2 band
- Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft v. Schlunk, Administrator of the Estates of Schlunk et al.486 U.S. 694Jun 15, 1988 · 486 U.S. 694Due process9–0Unanimous band
- Omni Capital International, Ltd., et al. v. Rudolf Wolff & Co., Ltd., et al.484 U.S. 97Dec 8, 1987 · 484 U.S. 97Due process8–0Unanimous band
- Asahi Metal Industry Co., Ltd. v. Superior Court of California, Solano County (Cheng Shin Rubber Industrial Co., Ltd., Real Party in Interest)480 U.S. 102Feb 24, 1987 · 480 U.S. 102Due process9–0Unanimous band
- Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Shutts et al.472 U.S. 797Jun 26, 1985 · 472 U.S. 797Due process8–0Unanimous band
- Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz471 U.S. 462May 20, 1985 · 471 U.S. 462Due process6–27–2 band
- Helicopteros Nacionales de Colombia, S. A. v. Hall et al.466 U.S. 408Apr 24, 1984 · 466 U.S. 408Due process8–18–1 band
- Calder et al. v. Jones465 U.S. 783Mar 20, 1984 · 465 U.S. 783Due process9–0Unanimous band
- Keeton v. Hustler Magazine, Inc., et al.465 U.S. 770Mar 20, 1984 · 465 U.S. 770Due process9–0Unanimous band
- Insurance Corporation of Ireland, Ltd., et al. v. Compagnie Des Bauxites de Guinee456 U.S. 694Jun 1, 1982 · 456 U.S. 694Due process9–0Unanimous band
- Allstate Insurance Co. v. Hague, Personal Representative of Hague's Estate449 U.S. 302Jan 13, 1981 · 449 U.S. 302Due process5–36–3 band
- Rush et al. v. Savchuk444 U.S. 320Jan 21, 1980 · 444 U.S. 320Due process7–27–2 band
- World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. et al. v. Woodson, District Judge of Creek County, Oklahoma, et al.Landmark · Personal jurisdiction444 U.S. 286Jan 21, 1980 · 444 U.S. 286Due processLandmark · Personal jurisdiction6–36–3 band
- Kulko v. Superior Court of California in and for the City and County of San Francisco (Horn, Real Party in Interest)436 U.S. 84May 15, 1978 · 436 U.S. 84Due process6–36–3 band
- Shaffer et al. v. Heitner433 U.S. 186Jun 24, 1977 · 433 U.S. 186Due process7–18–1 band
- Western Union Telegraph Co. v. Pennsylvania368 U.S. 71Dec 4, 1961 · 368 U.S. 71Due process9–0Unanimous band
- Hanson, Executrix, et al. v. Denckla et al.357 U.S. 235Jun 23, 1958 · 357 U.S. 235Due process5–45–4 band
- McGee v. International Life Insurance Co.355 U.S. 220Dec 16, 1957 · 355 U.S. 220Due process8–0Unanimous band
- Vanderbilt v. Vanderbilt et al.354 U.S. 416Jun 24, 1957 · 354 U.S. 416Due process6–27–2 band
- May v. Anderson345 U.S. 528May 18, 1953 · 345 U.S. 528Due process5–36–3 band
- Perkins v. Benguet Consolidated Mining Co. et al.342 U.S. 437Mar 3, 1952 · 342 U.S. 437Due process7–27–2 band
- Travelers Health Association et al. v. Virginia ex rel. State Corporation Commission339 U.S. 643Jun 5, 1950 · 339 U.S. 643Due process5–45–4 band
- Sherrer v. Sherrer334 U.S. 343Jun 7, 1948 · 334 U.S. 343Due process7–27–2 band
Data notes
Every other orally argued case with a clear vote, from the 1946 term on, that the Supreme Court Database files under the same issue as this one. The database gives each case one issue from a list of about 270 (abortion, search and seizure of vehicles, the death penalty, and so on), whatever law it turned on.
Official record
Read the full opinion on Justia. Case data from the Supreme Court Database, Version 2026 Release 01, through the 2025 term.