Slayton v. Smith
404 U.S. 53 · Decided November 16, 1971 · 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
Slayton v. Smith was decided on November 16, 1971 by a vote of 5–2. 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 “Comity, habeas corpus” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 404 U.S. 53 · 92 S. Ct. 174 · 30 L. Ed. 2d 209 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 9
- Docket number
- 70-108
- Decided
- November 16, 1971
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–2
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Comity, habeas corpus
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority |
Full case caption
Slayton, Penitentiary Superintendent v. Smith
SCDB identifiers: case 1971-010, docket 1971-010-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Comity, habeas corpus”
- Irvin v. Dowd
- Granberry v. Greer
- Sweeney v. Woodall
- Darr v. BurfordAltered precedent
- Wade v. Mayo
- Daniel Greene v. Georgia
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Cruz v. Hauck
- Younger v. Gilmore
- Wilwording v. Swenson
- Picard v. Connor
- Boyd v. Dutton
- Schlanger v. Seamans
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Hicks v. Pleasure House, Inc.
- North Carolina v. Rice
- Securities and Exchange Commission v. Medical Committee for Human Rights
- Diffenderfer v. Central Baptist Church of Miami
- Board of Regents of the University of Texas System v. New Left Education Project
- United States v. Christian Echoes National Ministry, Inc.
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