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Davis v. Alaska

415 U.S. 308 · Decided February 27, 1974 · 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

Davis v. Alaska was decided on February 27, 1974 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger 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.

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Case details

Citations
415 U.S. 308 · 94 S. Ct. 1105 · 39 L. Ed. 2d 347 · 1974 U.S. LEXIS 104
Docket number
72-5794
Decided
February 27, 1974
Argued
December 12, 1973
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
7–2
Majority opinion
Warren E. Burger
Opinion assigned by
Warren E. Burger
How the case arrived
Certiorari
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

Full case caption

Davis v. Alaska

SCDB identifiers: case 1973-062, docket 1973-062-01.

Other cases on “Confrontation of witnesses”

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Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (right to confront and cross-examine, compulsory process)

Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)

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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