Wolff v. McDonnell
418 U.S. 539 · Decided June 26, 1974 · 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
Wolff v. McDonnell was decided on June 26, 1974 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part, reversed or vacated it in part, and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, prisoners' and defendants' rights” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 418 U.S. 539 · 94 S. Ct. 2963 · 41 L. Ed. 2d 935 · 1974 U.S. LEXIS 91
- Docket number
- 73-679
- Decided
- June 26, 1974
- Argued
- April 22, 1974
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, prisoners' and defendants' rights
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Wolff, Warden, et al. v. McDonnell
SCDB identifiers: case 1973-168, docket 1973-168-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, prisoners' and defendants' rights”
- Marshall v. United States
- Hurtado v. United States
- McGinnis v. Royster
- Baxter v. Palmigiano
- Morrissey v. Brewer
- Meachum v. Fano
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Taylor v. Hayes
- Ross v. Moffitt
- Blackledge v. Perry
- Calero-Toledo v. Pearson Yacht Leasing Co.
- Mitchell v. W. T. Grant Co.Altered precedent
- Donnelly v. Dechristoforo
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Marshall v. United States
- Vachon v. New Hampshire
- Christian v. New York State Department of Labor
- Arnett v. Kennedy
- Dillard v. Industrial Commission of Virginia
- Taylor v. Hayes
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