Carter v. Kentucky
450 U.S. 288 · Decided March 9, 1981 · 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
Carter v. Kentucky was decided on March 9, 1981 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Self-incrimination (general)” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 450 U.S. 288 · 101 S. Ct. 1112 · 67 L. Ed. 2d 241 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 77
- Docket number
- 80-5060
- Decided
- March 9, 1981
- Argued
- January 14, 1981
- 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
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Self-incrimination (general)
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Fifth Amendment (self-incrimination)
- 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. | Concurrence | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Carter v. Kentucky
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-051, docket 1980-051-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Self-incrimination (general)”
- Estelle v. Smith
- United States v. Ward
- Jenkins v. Anderson
- United States v. Havens
- Roberts v. United States
- Fletcher v. Weir
Cases on the same legal provision: Fifth Amendment (self-incrimination)
- United States v. Apfelbaum
- Pillsbury Co. v. Conboy
- New Jersey v. Portash
- Lefkowitz v. CunninghamLaw held unconstitutional
- Moran v. Burbine
- United States v. Nobles
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Colorado v. Bannister
- United States v. Difrancesco
- Watkins v. Sowders
- United States v. Morrison
- Mariscal v. United States
- United States v. Cortez
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