United States v. Ward
448 U.S. 242 · Decided June 27, 1980 · 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. Ward was decided on June 27, 1980 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Self-incrimination (general)” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 448 U.S. 242 · 100 S. Ct. 2636 · 65 L. Ed. 2d 742 · 1980 U.S. LEXIS 53
- Docket number
- 79-394
- Decided
- June 27, 1980
- Argued
- February 26, 1980
- Court era
- Burger 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
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Self-incrimination (general)
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
United States v. Ward, Dba L. O. Ward Oil & Gas Operations
SCDB identifiers: case 1979-146, docket 1979-146-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Self-incrimination (general)”
- Jenkins v. Anderson
- United States v. Havens
- Roberts v. United States
- United States v. Euge
- Carter v. Kentucky
- Estelle v. Smith
Cases on the same legal provision: Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act)
- Costle v. Pacific Legal Foundation
- Crown Simpson Pulp Co. v. Costle
- Environmental Protection Agency v. National Crushed Stone Association
- Middlesex County Sewerage Authority v. National Sea Clammers Association
- Weinberger v. Romero-Barcelo
- E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co. v. Train
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Pilon v. Bordenkircher
- Perrin v. United States
- Ybarra v. Illinois
- Thompson v. United States
- United States v. Bailey
- Tague v. Louisiana
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