Leary v. United States

395 U.S. 6 · Decided May 19, 1969 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Leary v. United States was decided on May 19, 1969 unanimously (8–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John M. Harlan II wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Self-incrimination (general)” in the Criminal Procedure area. SCDB records that the Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Leary v. United States

SCDB identifiers: case 1968-098, docket 1968-098-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Self-incrimination (general)”

• United States v. Covington
  395 U.S. 57Decided May 19, 19698–0John M. Harlan II
• United States v. Knox
  396 U.S. 77Decided December 8, 19696–2John M. Harlan II
• Minor v. United States
  396 U.S. 87Decided December 8, 19696–2Byron R. White
• United States v. Kordel
  397 U.S. 1Decided February 24, 19707–0Potter Stewart
• Williams v. FloridaAltered precedent
  399 U.S. 78Decided June 22, 19706–2Byron R. White
• Marchetti v. United StatesAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  390 U.S. 39Decided January 29, 19687–1John M. Harlan II

See all

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

• Jenkins v. Delaware
  395 U.S. 213Decided June 2, 19695–3Earl Warren
• Harrison v. United States
  392 U.S. 219Decided June 10, 19686–3Potter Stewart
• Gardner v. Broderick
  392 U.S. 273Decided June 10, 19689–0Abe Fortas
• Uniformed Sanitation Men Assn., Inc. v. Commissioner of Sanitation of the City of New York
  392 U.S. 280Decided June 10, 19689–0Abe Fortas
• George Campbell Painting Corp. v. Reid
  392 U.S. 286Decided June 10, 19687–2Abe Fortas
• Brady v. United States
  397 U.S. 742Decided May 4, 19708–0Byron R. White

Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)

• McConnell v. Rhay
  393 U.S. 2Decided October 14, 19689–0Per curiam
• Arsenault v. Massachusetts
  393 U.S. 5Decided October 14, 19689–0Per curiam
• International Terminal Operating Co., Inc. v. Nv Nederl. Amerik Stoomv Maats
  393 U.S. 74Decided October 21, 19689–0Per curiam
• Fuller v. Alaska
  393 U.S. 80Decided October 28, 19687–2Per curiam
• Smith v. Yeager
  393 U.S. 122Decided November 12, 19688–1Per curiam
• Recznik v. City of Lorain
  393 U.S. 166Decided November 18, 19685–4Per curiam

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