Carella v. California
491 U.S. 263 · Decided June 15, 1989 · 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
Carella v. California was decided on June 15, 1989 unanimously (9–0). 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 “Extra-legal jury influences, jury instructions” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 491 U.S. 263 · 109 S. Ct. 2419 · 105 L. Ed. 2d 218 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 2973
- Docket number
- 87-6997
- Decided
- June 15, 1989
- Argued
- April 26, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Extra-legal jury influences, jury instructions
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Carella v. California
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-118, docket 1988-118-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Extra-legal jury influences, jury instructions”
- Mills v. Maryland
- Tommy Cage v. Louisiana
- Dale Robert Yates v. Parker Evatt
- California v. Brown
- Wayne Estelle v. Mark Owen McGuire
- Rose v. Clark
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Michael H. v. Gerald D.
- Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
- Kentucky Department of Corrections v. Thompson
- Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services
- National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Jerry Tarkanian
- Arizona v. Youngblood
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Pennsylvania v. Bruder
- Lockhart, A. L. v. Nelson
- Olden v. Kentucky
- Perry v. Leeke
- Florida v. Riley
- United States v. Broce
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