Home > Great American Court Cases > O'Connor v. Donaldson

Legal Citation: 422 U.S. 563 (1975)

Petitioner
Kenneth Donaldson

Respondent
Dr. J. B. O'Connor

Petitioner's Claim
That O'Connor, as the representative of the Florida State Hospital at Chattahoochee, had violated Donaldson's constitutional rights by keeping him in custody against his will for nearly 15 years for his supposed mental illness.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioner
Raymond W. Gearney

Chief Lawyer for Respondent
Bruce J. Ennis, Jr.

Justices for the Court
Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan, Jr., Warren E. Burger, William O. Douglas, Thurgood Marshall, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William H. Rehnquist, Potter Stewart (writing for the Court), Byron R. White

Justices Dissenting
None

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
26 June 1975

Decision
In a unanimous...