United States v. Vernon Watts
519 U.S. 148 · Decided January 6, 1997 · 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. Vernon Watts was decided on January 6, 1997 by a vote of 7–2. 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 “Statutory construction of criminal laws, sentencing guidelines” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 519 U.S. 148 · 117 S. Ct. 633 · 136 L. Ed. 2d 554 · 1997 U.S. LEXIS 1
- Docket number
- 95-1906
- Decided
- January 6, 1997
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- 18 U.S.C.
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- 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 | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
United States v. Vernon Watts
SCDB identifiers: case 1996-012, docket 1996-012-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Statutory construction of criminal laws, sentencing guidelines”
- United States v. Miguel Gonzales
- United States v. George Labonte
- Juan Melendez v. United States
- Stacey C. Koon v. United States
- Cornell Johnson v. United States
- Charles C. Apprendi, Jr. v. New JerseyLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: 18 U.S.C.
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- California v. Kenneth Duane Roy
- Ohio v. Robert D. Robinette
- Johnny Lynn Old Chief v. United States
- Maryland v. Jerry Lee Wilson
- Kenneth Lynce v. Hamilton MathisLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. Jerry E. Wells and Kenneth R. Steele
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