Smith v. Digmon
434 U.S. 332 · Decided January 16, 1978 · 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
Smith v. Digmon was decided on January 16, 1978 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed 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 “Habeas corpus” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 434 U.S. 332 · 98 S. Ct. 597 · 54 L. Ed. 2d 582 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 54
- Docket number
- 76-6799
- Decided
- January 16, 1978
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Habeas corpus
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Smith v. Digmon, Warden, et Al
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-025, docket 1977-025-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Habeas corpus”
- United States v. Mauro
- Wainwright v. SykesAltered precedent
- Swain v. Pressley
- United States v. Addonizio
- Jackson v. Virginia
- Rose v. Mitchell
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Cuyler v. Sullivan
- Fontaine v. United States
- Lavallee v. Delle Rose
- Barefoot v. Estelle
- Antone v. Dugger
- Slayton v. Smith
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Rinaldi v. United States
- Pennsylvania v. Mimms
- United States v. New York Telephone Co.
- Moore v. Illinois
- Bordenkircher v. Hayes
- Arizona v. Washington
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