CaseTrail

Enmund v. Florida

458 U.S. 782 · Decided July 2, 1982 · 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

Enmund v. Florida was decided on July 2, 1982 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty” 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
458 U.S. 782 · 102 S. Ct. 3368 · 73 L. Ed. 2d 1140 · 1982 U.S. LEXIS 158
Docket number
81-5321
Decided
July 2, 1982
Argued
March 23, 1982
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
5–4
Majority opinion
Byron R. White
Opinion assigned by
William J. Brennan Jr.
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Legal provision
Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment)
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

Enmund v. Florida

SCDB identifiers: case 1981-172, docket 1981-172-01.

Other cases on “Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty”

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment)

Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)

See all

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