Morris v. Schoonfield
399 U.S. 508 · Decided June 29, 1970 · 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
Morris v. Schoonfield was decided on June 29, 1970 unanimously (8–0). 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 “Indigents, payment of fine” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 399 U.S. 508 · 90 S. Ct. 2232 · 26 L. Ed. 2d 773 · 1970 U.S. LEXIS 10
- Docket number
- 782
- Decided
- June 29, 1970
- Argued
- April 22, 1970
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indigents, payment of fine
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Concurrence | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Concurrence | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority |
Did not participate: Harry A. Blackmun.
Full case caption
Morris et al. v. Schoonfield, Warden, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1969-135, docket 1969-135-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indigents, payment of fine”
- Williams v. IllinoisLaw held unconstitutional
- Tate v. ShortLaw held unconstitutional
- Bearden v. Georgia
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- City of Phoenix v. KolodziejskiLaw held unconstitutional
- Evans v. Cornman
- Hadley v. Junior College District of Metropolitan Kansas CityLaw held unconstitutional
- Evans v. Abney
- Carter v. Jury Commission of Greene County
- Turner v. FoucheLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education
- Brockington v. Rhodes
- Hall et Ux. v. Beals
- Carter v. West Feliciana Parish School Board
- Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc.
- Dowell v. Board of Education of Oklahoma City Public Schools
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