Middendorf v. Henry
425 U.S. 25 · Decided March 24, 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
Middendorf v. Henry was decided on March 24, 1976 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Right to counsel” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 425 U.S. 25 · 96 S. Ct. 1281 · 47 L. Ed. 2d 556 · 1976 U.S. LEXIS 29
- Docket number
- 74-175
- Decided
- March 24, 1976
- Argued
- January 22, 1975
- Reargued
- November 5, 1975
- 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
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Right to counsel
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Sixth Amendment (right to counsel)
- 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: John Paul Stevens.
Full case caption
Middendorf, Secretary of the Navy, et al. v. Henry et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1975-062, docket 1975-062-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Right to counsel”
- Geders v. United States
- Faretta v. California
- Herring v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Weatherford v. Bursey
- Brewer v. Williams
- Gagnon v. ScarpelliLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (right to counsel)
- Moore v. Illinois
- Holloway v. Arkansas
- United States v. Ash
- Kirby v. Illinois
- McConnell v. Rhay
- Arsenault v. Massachusetts
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