Cupp v. Murphy
412 U.S. 291 · Decided May 29, 1973 · 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
Cupp v. Murphy was decided on May 29, 1973 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Search and seizure (general)” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 412 U.S. 291 · 93 S. Ct. 2000 · 36 L. Ed. 2d 900 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 63
- Docket number
- 72-212
- Decided
- May 29, 1973
- Argued
- March 20, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Search and seizure (general)
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Fourth Amendment
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Concurrence |
Full case caption
Cupp, Penitentiary Superintendent v. Murphy
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-128, docket 1972-128-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Search and seizure (general)”
- Brown v. United States
- United States v. Dionisio
- United States v. Mara
- United States v. Calandra
- United States v. Matlock
- United States v. Edwards
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourth Amendment
- Schneckloth v. Bustamonte
- Almeida-Sanchez v. United States
- Cady v. Dombrowski
- Roaden v. Kentucky
- United States v. Robinson
- Gustafson v. Florida
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Murch v. Mottram
- Webb v. Texas
- Cool v. United States
- Neil v. Biggers
- Swenson v. Stidham
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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