United States v. Edward G. Scheffer
523 U.S. 303 · Decided March 31, 1998 · 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. Edward G. Scheffer was decided on March 31, 1998 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Confrontation of witnesses” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 523 U.S. 303 · 118 S. Ct. 1261 · 140 L. Ed. 2d 413 · 1998 U.S. LEXIS 2303
- Docket number
- 96-1133
- Decided
- March 31, 1998
- Argued
- November 3, 1997
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- Clarence Thomas
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Confrontation of witnesses
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Sixth Amendment (other provisions)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Concurrence | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Concurrence |
Full case caption
United States v. Edward G. Scheffer
SCDB identifiers: case 1997-048, docket 1997-048-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Confrontation of witnesses”
- Kevin D. Gray v. Maryland
- Benjamin Lee Lilly v. Virginia
- Michael D. Crawford v. WashingtonAltered precedent
- Randall D. White v. Illinois
- Michigan v. Nolan K. Lucas
- Idaho v. Wright
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (other provisions)
- Texas v. Raymond Levi Cobb
- Walter Mickens, Jr. v. John Taylor
- Walton v. Arizona
- Hildwin v. Florida
- Randall Wright v. Joseph L. Van Patten
- Gray v. Mississippi
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Garrit Bates v. United States
- Mario Salinas v. United States
- Richard F. Trest v. Burl Cain
- John Hudson v. United StatesAltered precedent
- Douglas McArthur Buchanan, Jr. v. Ronald J. Angelone
- James Brogan 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