CaseTrail

Kastigar v. United States

406 U.S. 441 · Decided May 22, 1972 · 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

Kastigar v. United States was decided on May 22, 1972 by a vote of 5–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Self-incrimination, immunity from prosecution” in the Criminal Procedure area.

Read the opinion

Case details

Citations
406 U.S. 441 · 92 S. Ct. 1653 · 32 L. Ed. 2d 212 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 57
Docket number
70-117
Decided
May 22, 1972
Argued
January 11, 1972
Court era
Burger Court
Decision type
Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
Disposition
Affirmed
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
Vote
5–2
Majority opinion
Lewis F. Powell Jr.
Opinion assigned by
Warren E. Burger
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Legal provision
Fifth Amendment (self-incrimination)
Type of law
Constitutional amendment
Decision direction (SCDB)
Conservative what this means

How the Justices voted

JusticeVoteSeparate writing
Justice William O. DouglasDissentWrote an opinion
Justice Potter StewartMajority
Justice Byron R. WhiteMajority
Justice Thurgood MarshallDissentWrote an opinion
Chief Justice Warren E. BurgerMajority
Justice Harry A. BlackmunMajority
Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr.MajorityWrote an opinion

Did not participate: William J. Brennan Jr., William H. Rehnquist.

Full case caption

Kastigar et al. v. United States

SCDB identifiers: case 1971-113, docket 1971-113-01.

Other cases on “Self-incrimination, immunity from prosecution”

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Fifth Amendment (self-incrimination)

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