Bartkus v. Illinois.
355 U.S. 281 · Decided January 6, 1958 · 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
Bartkus v. Illinois. was decided on January 6, 1958 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 355 U.S. 281 · 78 S. Ct. 336 · 2 L. Ed. 2d 270 · 1958 U.S. LEXIS 1681
- Docket number
- 39
- Decided
- January 6, 1958
- Argued
- November 19, 1957
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Unspecifiable what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: William J. Brennan Jr..
Full case caption
Bartkus v. Illinois.
SCDB identifiers: case 1957-030, docket 1957-030-01.
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