Burch v. Louisiana
441 U.S. 130 · Decided April 17, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Burch v. Louisiana was decided on April 17, 1979 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part, reversed or vacated it in part, and remanded the case. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Jury trial right” in the Criminal Procedure area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 441 U.S. 130 · 99 S. Ct. 1623 · 60 L. Ed. 2d 96 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 87
- Docket number
- 78-90
- Decided
- April 17, 1979
- Argued
- February 22, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Jury trial right
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Sixth Amendment (right to trial by jury)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Burch et al. v. Louisiana
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-074, docket 1978-074-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Jury trial right”
- Ballew v. GeorgiaLaw held unconstitutional
- Lorillard v. Pons
- Atlas Roofing Co., Inc. v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
- Lehman v. Nakshian
- Ludwig v. Massachusetts
- Rose v. Hodges
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (right to trial by jury)
- Corbitt v. New Jersey
- Taylor v. LouisianaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Codispoti v. Pennsylvania
- McKeiver v. Pennsylvania
- Buchanan v. Kentucky
- Ross v. Oklahoma
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Presnell v. Georgia
- Rakas v. Illinois
- Corbitt v. New Jersey
- Massachusetts v. White
- Michigan v. Doran
- Lee v. Missouri
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