Ludwig v. Massachusetts
427 U.S. 618 · Decided June 30, 1976 · 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
Ludwig v. Massachusetts was decided on June 30, 1976 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Jury trial right” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 427 U.S. 618 · 96 S. Ct. 2781 · 49 L. Ed. 2d 732 · 1976 U.S. LEXIS 1
- Docket number
- 75-377
- Decided
- June 30, 1976
- Argued
- April 28, 1976
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Jury trial right
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Sixth Amendment (right to trial by jury)
- 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 Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Ludwig v. Massachusetts
SCDB identifiers: case 1975-167, docket 1975-167-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Jury trial right”
- Rose v. Hodges
- Atlas Roofing Co., Inc. v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
- Muniz v. Hoffman
- Lorillard v. Pons
- Ballew v. GeorgiaLaw held unconstitutional
- Pernell v. Southall Realty
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (right to trial by jury)
- Taylor v. LouisianaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Codispoti v. Pennsylvania
- Corbitt v. New Jersey
- McKeiver v. Pennsylvania
- Destefano v. Woods
- Bloom v. Illinois
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Rose v. Hodges
- Menna v. New York
- Dillingham v. United States
- Texas v. White
- Michigan v. Mosley
- United States v. Moore
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