Opinion of the Court
The Washington State Law Is Unconstitutional
This case was granted certiorari on September 28, 1999, and was affirmed on June 5, 2000. In a 6-to-3 decision, the Court struck down a Washington State law permitting courts to grant grandparents visitation rights for their minor grandchildren if such visitations are in "the best interests of the child," even though the parents of the child do not approve of such visits. The following is excerpted from the summary of the majority opinion written by Justice O’Connor, as prepared by the Court Reporter of Decisions:The Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause has a substantive component that "provides heightened protection against…
