Crane v. Kentucky
476 U.S. 683 · Decided June 9, 1986 · 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
Crane v. Kentucky was decided on June 9, 1986 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Involuntary confession” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 476 U.S. 683 · 106 S. Ct. 2142 · 90 L. Ed. 2d 636 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 89
- Docket number
- 85-5238
- Decided
- June 9, 1986
- Argued
- April 23, 1986
- 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
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Involuntary confession
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Sixth Amendment (right to confront and cross-examine, compulsory 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. | Majority | |
| 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. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Crane v. Kentucky
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-103, docket 1985-103-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Involuntary confession”
- Colorado v. Connelly
- Lanier v. South Carolina
- Colorado v. Spring
- Taylor v. Alabama
- Arizona v. FulminanteAltered precedent
- Dunaway v. New York
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (right to confront and cross-examine, compulsory process)
- Lee v. Illinois
- New Mexico v. Earnest
- United States v. Inadi
- Delaware v. Fensterer
- Cruz v. New York
- Richardson v. Marsh
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Delaware v. Fensterer
- Lanier v. South Carolina
- Pennsylvania v. Goldhammer
- Hill v. Lockhart
- Heath v. Alabama
- Miller v. Fenton
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