Lockhart v. McCree
476 U.S. 162 · Decided May 5, 1986 · 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
Lockhart v. McCree was decided on May 5, 1986 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Extra-legal jury influences, jurors and death penalty” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 476 U.S. 162 · 106 S. Ct. 1758 · 90 L. Ed. 2d 137 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 153
- Docket number
- 84-1865
- Decided
- May 5, 1986
- Argued
- January 13, 1986
- 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
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Sixth Amendment (other provisions)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Lockhart, Director, Arkansas Department of Corrections v. McCree
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-081, docket 1985-081-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Extra-legal jury influences, jurors and death penalty”
- Darden v. Wainwright
- Gray v. Mississippi
- Buchanan v. Kentucky
- Wainwright v. Witt
- Ross v. Oklahoma
- Adams v. Texas
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (other provisions)
- Turner v. Murray
- Holbrook v. Flynn
- Patton v. Yount
- Waller v. Georgia
- Hildwin v. Florida
- Walton v. Arizona
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Delaware v. Fensterer
- Lanier v. South Carolina
- Pennsylvania v. Goldhammer
- Hill v. Lockhart
- Heath v. Alabama
- Miller v. Fenton
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