South Carolina v. Gathers

490 U.S. 805 · Decided June 12, 1989 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

South Carolina v. Gathers was decided on June 12, 1989 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty” 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

South Carolina v. Gathers

SCDB identifiers: case 1988-104, docket 1988-104-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty”

• Hildwin v. Florida
  490 U.S. 638Decided May 30, 19897–2Per curiam
• Penry v. Lynaugh
  492 U.S. 302Decided June 26, 19895–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Stanford v. Kentucky
  492 U.S. 361Decided June 26, 19895–4Antonin Scalia
• Scott Wayne Blystone v. Pennsylvania
  494 U.S. 299Decided February 28, 19905–4William H. Rehnquist
• Richard Boyde v. California
  494 U.S. 370Decided March 5, 19905–4William H. Rehnquist
• McKoy v. North CarolinaLaw held unconstitutional
  494 U.S. 433Decided March 5, 19906–3Thurgood Marshall

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment)

• Murray v. Giarratano
  492 U.S. 1Decided June 23, 19895–4William H. Rehnquist
• Pearly L. Wilson v. Richard Seiter
  501 U.S. 294Decided June 17, 19915–4Antonin Scalia
• Ronald Allen Harmelin v. Michigan
  501 U.S. 957Decided June 27, 19915–4Antonin Scalia
• California v. Brown
  479 U.S. 538Decided January 27, 19875–4William H. Rehnquist
• Keith J. Hudson v. Jack McMillian
  503 U.S. 1Decided February 25, 19927–2Sandra Day O'Connor
• Whitley v. Albers
  475 U.S. 312Decided March 4, 19865–4Sandra Day O'Connor

Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)

• Pennsylvania v. Bruder
  488 U.S. 9Decided October 31, 19887–2Per curiam
• Lockhart, A. L. v. Nelson
  488 U.S. 33Decided November 14, 19886–3William H. Rehnquist
• Olden v. Kentucky
  488 U.S. 227Decided December 12, 19888–1Per curiam
• Perry v. Leeke
  488 U.S. 272Decided January 1, 19896–3John Paul Stevens
• Florida v. Riley
  488 U.S. 445Decided January 23, 19895–4Byron R. White
• United States v. Broce
  488 U.S. 563Decided January 23, 19896–3Anthony M. Kennedy

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