Smith v. Illinois
469 U.S. 91 · Decided December 10, 1984 · 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. Illinois was decided on December 10, 1984 by a vote of 6–3. 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 “Miranda warnings” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 469 U.S. 91 · 105 S. Ct. 490 · 83 L. Ed. 2d 488 · 1984 U.S. LEXIS 167
- Docket number
- 84-5332
- Decided
- December 10, 1984
- 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
- 6–3
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Miranda warnings
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Fifth Amendment (Miranda warnings)
- 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 | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Smith v. Illinois
SCDB identifiers: case 1984-009, docket 1984-009-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Miranda warnings”
- Oregon v. Elstad
- Berkemer v. McCarty
- New York v. Quarles
- Moran v. Burbine
- California v. Beheler
- Oregon v. Bradshaw
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Florida v. Rodriguez
- Thompson v. Louisiana
- Luce v. United States
- United States v. Abel
- United States v. Powell
- Garcia v. United States
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