Coy v. Iowa
487 U.S. 1012 · Decided June 29, 1988 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Coy v. Iowa was decided on June 29, 1988 by a vote of 6–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Confrontation of witnesses” 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
- 487 U.S. 1012 · 108 S. Ct. 2798 · 101 L. Ed. 2d 857 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 3033
- Docket number
- 86-6757
- Decided
- June 29, 1988
- Argued
- January 13, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- Antonin Scalia
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Confrontation of witnesses
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Sixth Amendment (right to confront and cross-examine, compulsory process)
- 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Concurrence | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Anthony M. Kennedy.
Full case caption
Coy v. Iowa
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-157, docket 1987-157-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Confrontation of witnesses”
- United States v. Owens
- Taylor v. Illinois
- Olden v. Kentucky
- Rock v. Arkansas
- Kentucky v. Stincer
- Cruz v. New York
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (right to confront and cross-examine, compulsory process)
- Crane v. Kentucky
- Leonard Portuondo v. Ray Agard
- Berger v. California
- Roberts v. Russell
- Clark v. Sweeney
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Carpenter v. United States
- Yates v. Aiken
- Lowenfield v. Phelps
- Taylor v. Illinois
- United States v. Owens
- United States v. Thomas O. Robinson, Jr.
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