Duckworth v. Serrano
454 U.S. 1 · Decided October 19, 1981 · 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
Duckworth v. Serrano was decided on October 19, 1981 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed 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 “Habeas corpus” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 454 U.S. 1 · 102 S. Ct. 18 · 70 L. Ed. 2d 1 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 139
- Docket number
- 80-2041
- Decided
- October 19, 1981
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Habeas corpus
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- 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 Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Duckworth, Warden v. Serrano
SCDB identifiers: case 1981-001, docket 1981-001-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Habeas corpus”
- Harris v. Rivera
- Rose v. Lundy
- Sumner v. Mata
- Engle v. Isaac
- United States v. Frady
- Lehman on Behalf of Her Children v. Lycoming County Children's Services Agency
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Cuyler v. Sullivan
- Barefoot v. Estelle
- Antone v. Dugger
- Wainwright v. Witt
- Vasquez v. Hillery
- Kimmelman v. Morrison
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Harris v. Rivera
- Boag v. Macdougall
- Hutto v. Davis
- Washington v. Chrisman
- Eddings v. Oklahoma
- Rose v. Lundy
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