United States v. Ash
413 U.S. 300 · Decided June 21, 1973 · 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
United States v. Ash was decided on June 21, 1973 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Line-up identification” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 413 U.S. 300 · 93 S. Ct. 2568 · 37 L. Ed. 2d 619 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 45
- Docket number
- 71-1255
- Decided
- June 21, 1973
- Argued
- January 10, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Line-up identification
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Sixth Amendment (right to counsel)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
United States v. Ash
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-166, docket 1972-166-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Line-up identification”
- Kirby v. Illinois
- Manson v. Brathwaite
- Foster v. California
- Moore v. Illinois
- Biggers v. Tennessee
- United States v. Wade
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (right to counsel)
- Gagnon v. ScarpelliLaw held unconstitutional
- Argersinger v. Hamlin
- United States v. Tucker
- Faretta v. California
- Herring v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Middendorf v. Henry
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Murch v. Mottram
- Webb v. Texas
- Cool v. United States
- Neil v. Biggers
- Swenson v. Stidham
- One Lot Emerald Cut Stones and One Ring 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