Penson v. Ohio
488 U.S. 75 · Decided November 29, 1988 · 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
Penson v. Ohio was decided on November 29, 1988 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indigents, inadequate representation by counsel” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 488 U.S. 75 · 109 S. Ct. 346 · 102 L. Ed. 2d 300 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 5405
- Docket number
- 87-6116
- Decided
- November 29, 1988
- Argued
- October 12, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indigents, inadequate representation by counsel
- 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 William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Penson, Steven A. v. Ohio
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-007, docket 1988-007-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indigents, inadequate representation by counsel”
- McCoy v. Court of Appeals of Wisconsin
- Strickland v. Washington
- Wood v. Georgia
- Wilkins v. United States
- Holloway v. Arkansas
- Johnson v. Avery
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Allegheny Pittsburgh Coal Co. v. County Commission of Webster CountyLaw held unconstitutional
- City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson CompanyLaw held unconstitutional
- Board of Estimate of City of New York v. MorrisLaw held unconstitutional
- Clark v. JeterLaw held unconstitutional
- Bankers Life & Casualty Co. v. Crenshaw
- Quinn v. MillsapLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Town of Huntington v. Huntington Branch
- Pittston Coal Group v. Sebben
- Owens v. Okure
- City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson CompanyLaw held unconstitutional
- In re McDonald
- Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services
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