California v. Trombetta
467 U.S. 479 · Decided June 11, 1984 · 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
California v. Trombetta was decided on June 11, 1984 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, miscellaneous” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 467 U.S. 479 · 104 S. Ct. 2528 · 81 L. Ed. 2d 413 · 1984 U.S. LEXIS 103
- Docket number
- 83-305
- Decided
- June 11, 1984
- Argued
- April 18, 1984
- 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
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
California v. Trombetta et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1983-119, docket 1983-119-01.
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Other cases on “Due process, miscellaneous”
- Wasman v. United States
- Board of Education of Paris Union School District No. 95 v. Vail
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Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
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- Helicopteros Nacionales de Colombia, S. A. v. Hall
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Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Keeton v. Hustler Magazine, Inc.
- Calder v. Jones
- Summa Corp. v. California ex Rel. State Lands Commission
- Board of Education of Paris Union School District No. 95 v. Vail
- Helicopteros Nacionales de Colombia, S. A. v. Hall
- Kirby Forest Industries, Inc. v. United States
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