Bell v. Wolfish
441 U.S. 520 · Decided May 14, 1979 · 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
Bell v. Wolfish was decided on May 14, 1979 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, prisoners' and defendants' rights” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 441 U.S. 520 · 99 S. Ct. 1861 · 60 L. Ed. 2d 447 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 100
- Docket number
- 77-1829
- Decided
- May 14, 1979
- Argued
- January 16, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, prisoners' and defendants' rights
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Fifth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Bell, Attorney General, et al. v. Wolfish et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-092, docket 1978-092-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, prisoners' and defendants' rights”
- Greenholtz v. Inmates of the Nebraska Penal and Correction Complex
- Vitek v. JonesLaw held unconstitutional
- Bounds v. Smith
- Connecticut Board of Pardons v. Dumschat
- Howe v. Smith
- Moody v. Daggett
Cases on the same legal provision: Fifth Amendment (due process)
- Colautti v. FranklinLaw held unconstitutional
- Califano v. Aznavorian
- O'Bannon v. Town Court Nursing Center
- United States v. Darusmont et Ux.
- Marks v. United States
- Usery v. Turner Elkhorn Mining Co.
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- New Motor Vehicle Board of California v. Orrin W. Fox Co.
- Leis v. Flynt
- United States v. Bodcaw Co.
- Leo Sheep Co. v. United States
- Addington v. Texas
- United States v. 564.54 Acres of Land
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