Bushnell v. Ellis
366 U.S. 418 · Decided May 22, 1961 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Bushnell v. Ellis was decided on May 22, 1961 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Subconstitutional fair procedure, evidence presentation or sufficiency” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 366 U.S. 418 · 81 S. Ct. 1356 · 6 L. Ed. 2d 386 · 1961 U.S. LEXIS 1117
- Docket number
- 561
- Decided
- May 22, 1961
- Argued
- May 2, 1961
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Dissent | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Dissent | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Majority |
Did not participate: Potter Stewart.
Full case caption
Bushnell v. Ellis, Corrections Director
SCDB identifiers: case 1960-101, docket 1960-101-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Subconstitutional fair procedure, evidence presentation or sufficiency”
- Stirone v. United States
- Michaels Enterprises, Inc. v. United States
- United States v. Shotwell Manufacturing Co.
- United States ex Rel. Lee Kum Hoy v. Murff
- Clayton Chemical & Packaging Co. v. United States
- Opper v. United States
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Carbo v. United States
- Hodges v. United States
- Mitchell v. United States
- Machibroda v. United States
- Jones v. Cunningham
- Fay v. NoiaAltered precedent
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Scott v. California
- Reina v. United States
- Callanan v. United States
- Carbo v. United States
- Campbell v. United States
- McNeal v. Culver
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