Powell v. Texas
492 U.S. 680 · Decided July 3, 1989 · 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
Powell v. Texas was decided on July 3, 1989 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Right to counsel” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 492 U.S. 680 · 109 S. Ct. 3146 · 106 L. Ed. 2d 551 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 3383
- Docket number
- 88-6801
- Decided
- July 3, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- 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)
- 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 | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Powell v. Texas
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-152, docket 1988-152-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Right to counsel”
- United States v. Monsanto
- Caplin & Drysdale v. United States
- Perry v. Leeke
- Michigan v. Tyris Lemont Harvey
- Patterson v. Illinois
- Satterwhite v. Texas
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (right to counsel)
- McCoy v. Court of Appeals of Wisconsin
- Pennsylvania v. Finley
- Strickland v. Washington
- Holloway v. Arkansas
- Moore v. Illinois
- United States v. Ash
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Pennsylvania v. Bruder
- Lockhart, A. L. v. Nelson
- Olden v. Kentucky
- Perry v. Leeke
- Florida v. Riley
- United States v. Broce
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