Williams v. Illinois
399 U.S. 235 · Decided June 29, 1970 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Williams v. Illinois was decided on June 29, 1970 unanimously (8–0). The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indigents, payment of fine” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 399 U.S. 235 · 90 S. Ct. 2018 · 26 L. Ed. 2d 586 · 1970 U.S. LEXIS 8
- Docket number
- 1089
- Decided
- June 29, 1970
- Argued
- April 22, 1970
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Warren E. Burger
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indigents, payment of fine
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Harry A. Blackmun.
Full case caption
Williams v. Illinois
SCDB identifiers: case 1969-128, docket 1969-128-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indigents, payment of fine”
- Morris v. Schoonfield
- Tate v. ShortLaw held unconstitutional
- Bearden v. Georgia
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- City of Phoenix v. KolodziejskiLaw held unconstitutional
- Evans v. Cornman
- Hadley v. Junior College District of Metropolitan Kansas CityLaw held unconstitutional
- Evans v. Abney
- Carter v. Jury Commission of Greene County
- Turner v. FoucheLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education
- Brockington v. Rhodes
- Hall et Ux. v. Beals
- Carter v. West Feliciana Parish School Board
- Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc.
- Dowell v. Board of Education of Oklahoma City Public Schools
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