Saenz v. Roe

Sáenz v. Roe
Argued January 13, 1999
Decided May 17, 1999
Full case nameRita L. Sáenz, Director, California Department of Social Services, et al., Petitioners v. Brenda Roe & Anna Doe etc.
Citations526 U.S. 489 (more)
119 S. Ct. 1518; 143 L. Ed. 2d 689; 1999 U.S. LEXIS 3174; 67 U.S.L.W. 4291; 99 Cal. Daily Op. Service 3574; 99 Daily Journal DAR 4559; 1999 Colo. J. C.A.R. 2812; 12 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 227; 61 Soc. Sec. Rep. Service 75
Case history
PriorRoe v. Anderson, 966 F. Supp. 977 (E.D. Cal. 1997); affirmed, 134 F.3d 1400 (9th Cir. 1998); cert. granted, 524 U.S. 982 (1998).
Holding
California statute limiting new residents' benefits for the first year they live in the state is an unconstitutional discrimination and violation of their right to travel.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinions
MajorityStevens, joined by O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer
DissentRehnquist, joined by Thomas
DissentThomas, joined by Rehnquist
Laws applied
U.S. Const. Art. IV § 2, amend. XIV § 1; Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code Ann. § 11450.03

Sáenz v. Roe, 526 U.S. 489 (1999), was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States discussed whether there is a constitutional right to travel from one state to another. The case was a reaffirmation of the principle that citizens select states and not the other way round.