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Dora B. Schriro v. Robert Douglas Smith

546 U.S. 6 · Decided October 17, 2005 · 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

Dora B. Schriro v. Robert Douglas Smith was decided on October 17, 2005 unanimously (9–0). The Court vacated 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 “Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty” in the Criminal Procedure area.

Read the opinion

Case details

Citations
546 U.S. 6 · 126 S. Ct. 7 · 163 L. Ed. 2d 6 · 2005 U.S. LEXIS 7652
Docket number
04-1475
Decided
October 17, 2005
Court era
Roberts Court
Decision type
Per curiam (no oral argument)
Disposition
Vacated and remanded
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
Vote
9–0 (unanimous)
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Decision direction (SCDB)
Conservative what this means

How the Justices voted

JusticeVoteSeparate writing
Justice John Paul StevensMajority
Justice Sandra Day O'ConnorMajority
Justice Antonin ScaliaMajority
Justice Anthony M. KennedyMajority
Justice David H. SouterMajority
Justice Clarence ThomasMajority
Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgMajority
Justice Stephen G. BreyerMajority
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.Majority

Full case caption

Dora B. Schriro, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections, Petitioner v. Robert Douglas Smith

SCDB identifiers: case 2005-002, docket 2005-002-01.

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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