Coker v. Georgia
433 U.S. 584 · Decided June 29, 1977 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Coker v. Georgia was decided on June 29, 1977 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty” in the Criminal Procedure area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 433 U.S. 584 · 97 S. Ct. 2861 · 53 L. Ed. 2d 982 · 1977 U.S. LEXIS 146
- Docket number
- 75-5444
- Decided
- June 29, 1977
- Argued
- March 28, 1977
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment)
- 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 William J. Brennan Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Coker v. Georgia
SCDB identifiers: case 1976-178, docket 1976-178-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty”
- Roberts v. LouisianaLaw held unconstitutional
- Darden v. Florida
- Gardner v. Florida
- Gregg v. GeorgiaAltered precedent
- Proffitt v. Florida
- Jurek v. Texas
Cases on the same legal provision: Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment)
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- United States v. Morrison
- United States v. Rose
- United States v. Dieter
- United States v. Pomponio
- United States v. Sanford
- Moore 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