Sandstrom v. Montana

442 U.S. 510 · Decided June 18, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Sandstrom v. Montana was decided on June 18, 1979 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Extra-legal jury influences, jury instructions” in the Criminal Procedure area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Sandstrom v. Montana

SCDB identifiers: case 1978-125, docket 1978-125-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Extra-legal jury influences, jury instructions”

• Kentucky v. Whorton
  441 U.S. 786Decided May 21, 19796–3Per curiam
• Taylor v. Kentucky
  436 U.S. 478Decided May 30, 19787–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Henderson v. Kibbe
  431 U.S. 145Decided May 16, 19778–0John Paul Stevens
• United States v. Pomponio
  429 U.S. 10Decided October 12, 19769–0Per curiam
• Connecticut v. Johnson
  460 U.S. 73Decided February 23, 19835–4Harry A. Blackmun
• Koehler v. Engle
  466 U.S. 1Decided March 26, 19844–4

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Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)

• Parham v. J.R.
  442 U.S. 584Decided June 20, 19796–3Warren E. Burger
• Secretary of Public Welfare of Pennsylvania v. Institutionalized Juveniles
  442 U.S. 640Decided June 20, 19796–3Warren E. Burger
• Mackey v. Montrym
  443 U.S. 1Decided June 25, 19795–4Warren E. Burger
• Barry v. BarchiLaw held unconstitutional
  443 U.S. 55Decided June 25, 19799–0Byron R. White
• Jackson v. Virginia
  443 U.S. 307Decided June 27, 19798–0Potter Stewart
• County Court of Ulster County v. Allen
  442 U.S. 140Decided June 4, 19795–4John Paul Stevens

Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)

• Presnell v. Georgia
  439 U.S. 14Decided November 6, 19786–3Per curiam
• Rakas v. Illinois
  439 U.S. 128Decided December 5, 19785–4William H. Rehnquist
• Corbitt v. New Jersey
  439 U.S. 212Decided December 11, 19786–3Byron R. White
• Massachusetts v. White
  439 U.S. 280Decided December 11, 19784–4
• Michigan v. Doran
  439 U.S. 282Decided December 18, 19789–0Warren E. Burger
• Lee v. Missouri
  439 U.S. 461Decided January 15, 19798–1Per curiam

See all

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