In re Winship
397 U.S. 358 · Decided March 31, 1970 · 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
In re Winship was decided on March 31, 1970 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Juveniles” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 397 U.S. 358 · 90 S. Ct. 1068 · 25 L. Ed. 2d 368 · 1970 U.S. LEXIS 56
- Docket number
- 778
- Decided
- March 31, 1970
- Argued
- January 20, 1970
- 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
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William O. Douglas
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Juveniles
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due 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 Hugo L. Black | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
In re Winship
SCDB identifiers: case 1969-069, docket 1969-069-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Juveniles”
- Santana v. Texas
- Richard S. v. City of New York
- McKeiver v. Pennsylvania
- In re Fischer.
- In re Whittington
- In re Gault
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Goldberg v. Kelly
- Wheeler v. Montgomery
- Daniel v. Goliday
- North Carolina v. Alford
- Wisconsin v. ConstantineauLaw held unconstitutional
- Sniadach v. Family Finance Corp. of Bay ViewLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education
- Brockington v. Rhodes
- Hall et Ux. v. Beals
- Carter v. West Feliciana Parish School Board
- Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc.
- Dowell v. Board of Education of Oklahoma City Public Schools
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