Lanier v. South Carolina
474 U.S. 25 · Decided November 4, 1985 · 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
Lanier v. South Carolina was decided on November 4, 1985 by a vote of 8–1. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Involuntary confession” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 474 U.S. 25 · 106 S. Ct. 297 · 88 L. Ed. 2d 23 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 138
- Docket number
- 85-5260
- Decided
- November 4, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Involuntary confession
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Fourth Amendment
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Lanier v. South Carolina
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-005, docket 1985-005-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Involuntary confession”
- Crane v. Kentucky
- Colorado v. Connelly
- Colorado v. Spring
- Taylor v. Alabama
- Arizona v. FulminanteAltered precedent
- Dunaway v. New York
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourth Amendment
- New York v. Class
- United States v. Montoya de Hernandez
- Maryland v. Macon
- California v. Carney
- California v. Ciraolo
- Dow Chemical Co. v. United States
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Delaware v. Fensterer
- Pennsylvania v. Goldhammer
- Hill v. Lockhart
- Heath v. Alabama
- Miller v. Fenton
- Thomas v. Arn
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