Beecher v. Alabama
408 U.S. 234 · Decided June 26, 1972 · 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
Beecher v. Alabama was decided on June 26, 1972 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Involuntary confession” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 408 U.S. 234 · 92 S. Ct. 2282 · 33 L. Ed. 2d 317 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 29
- Docket number
- 71-6497
- Decided
- June 26, 1972
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Involuntary confession
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Fifth Amendment (self-incrimination)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Beecher v. Alabama
SCDB identifiers: case 1971-169, docket 1971-169-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Involuntary confession”
- Swenson v. Stidham
- Lego v. Twomey
- Lavallee v. Delle Rose
- Fontaine v. United States
- Procunier v. Atchley
- Monks v. New Jersey
Cases on the same legal provision: Fifth Amendment (self-incrimination)
- Brooks v. TennesseeLaw held unconstitutional
- Kastigar v. United States
- Zicarelli v. New Jersey State Commission of Investigation
- Couch v. United States
- California v. Byers
- United States v. Freed
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Harris v. Washington
- Cruz v. Hauck
- Wilwording v. Swenson
- Santobello v. New York
- Picard v. Connor
- United States v. Campos-Serrano
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