Garner v. Louisiana
368 U.S. 157 · Decided December 11, 1961 · 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
Garner v. Louisiana was decided on December 11, 1961 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Sit-in demonstrations against racial discrimination” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 368 U.S. 157 · 82 S. Ct. 248 · 7 L. Ed. 2d 207 · 1961 U.S. LEXIS 28
- Docket number
- 26
- Decided
- December 11, 1961
- Argued
- October 18, 1961
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Earl Warren
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority |
Full case caption
Garner et al. v. Louisiana
SCDB identifiers: case 1961-010, docket 1961-010-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Sit-in demonstrations against racial discrimination”
- Taylor v. Louisiana
- Boynton v. Virginia
- Peterson v. City of GreenvilleLaw held unconstitutional
- Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham
- Lombard v. LouisianaLaw held unconstitutional
- Wright v. GeorgiaLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Cramp v. Board of Public Instruction of Orange CountyLaw held unconstitutional
- Western Union Telegraph Co. v. Pennsylvania
- Oyler v. Boles
- Beck v. Washington
- In re Green
- Culombe v. Connecticut
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Hoyt v. Florida
- Seymour v. Superintendent of Washington State Penitentiary
- Bailey v. PattersonLaw held unconstitutional
- Metlakatla Indian Community v. Egan
- Turner v. City of MemphisLaw held unconstitutional
- Baker v. CarrAltered precedent
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