Allen v. Hardy
478 U.S. 255 · Decided June 30, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Allen v. Hardy was decided on June 30, 1986 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Retroactivity of new rights” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 478 U.S. 255 · 106 S. Ct. 2878 · 92 L. Ed. 2d 199 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 126
- Docket number
- 85-6593
- Decided
- June 30, 1986
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Retroactivity of new rights
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Retroactive application of a constitutional right
- Type of law
- Other
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Jurisdictional dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Jurisdictional dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Allen v. Hardy et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-147, docket 1985-147-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Retroactivity of new rights”
- Griffith v. Kentucky
- Truesdale v. Aiken
- Shea v. Louisiana
- Yates v. Aiken
- Solem v. Stumes
- United States v. Johnson
Cases on the same legal provision: Retroactive application of a constitutional right
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Delaware v. Fensterer
- Lanier v. South Carolina
- Pennsylvania v. Goldhammer
- Hill v. Lockhart
- Heath v. Alabama
- Miller v. Fenton
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error