Cite as: 530 U. S. 57 (2000)
Opinion of O'Connor, J.
of parents to make child rearing decisions simply because a state judge believes a "better" decision could be made. Neither the Washington nonparental visitation statute generally—which places no limits on either the persons who may petition for visitation or the circumstances in which such a petition may be granted—nor the Superior Court in this specific case required anything more. Accordingly, we hold that § 26.10.160(3), as applied in this case, is unconstitutional.
Because we rest our decision on the sweeping breadth of § 26.10.160(3) and the application of that broad, unlimited power in this case, we do not consider the primary constitutional question passed on by the Washington Supreme Court—whether the Due Process Clause requires all nonpa-rental visitation statutes to include a showing of harm or potential harm to the child as a condition precedent to granting visitation. We do not, and need not, define today the precise scope of the parental due process right in the visitation context. In this respect, we agree with Justice Kennedy that the constitutionality of any standard for awarding visitation turns on the specific manner in which that standard is applied and that the constitutional protections in this area are best "elaborated with care." Post, at 101 (dissenting opinion). Because much state-court adjudication in this context occurs on a case-by-case basis, we would be hesitant to hold that specific nonparental visitation statutes violate the Due Process Clause as a per se matter.* See, e. g., Fair-*All 50 States have statutes that provide for grandparent visitation in some form. See Ala. Code § 30-3-4.1 (1989); Alaska Stat. Ann. § 25.20.065 (1998); Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 25-409 (1994); Ark. Code Ann. § 9-13-103 (1998); Cal. Fam. Code Ann. § 3104 (West 1994); Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-117 (1999); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-59 (1995); Del. Code Ann., Tit. 10, § 1031(7) (1999); Fla. Stat. § 752.01 (1997); Ga. Code Ann. § 19-7-3 (1991); Haw. Rev. Stat. § 571-46.3 (1999); Idaho Code § 32-719 (1999); Ill. Comp. Stat., ch. 750, § 5/607 (1998); Ind. Code § 31-17-5-1 (1999); Iowa Code § 598.35 (1999); Kan. Stat. Ann. § 38-129 (1993); Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 405.021 (Baldwin 1990); La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 9:344 (West Supp. 2000); La. Civ. Code Ann., Art. 136 (West Supp. 2000); Me. Rev. Stat. Ann., Tit. 19A, § 1803 (1998);
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