McConnell v. Rhay
393 U.S. 2 · Decided October 14, 1968 · 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
McConnell v. Rhay was decided on October 14, 1968 unanimously (9–0). 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 “Retroactivity of new rights” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 393 U.S. 2 · 89 S. Ct. 32 · 21 L. Ed. 2d 2 · 1968 U.S. LEXIS 567
- Docket number
- 87 M
- Decided
- October 14, 1968
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Retroactivity of new rights
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Sixth Amendment (right to counsel)
- 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 William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Abe Fortas | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority |
Full case caption
McConnell v. Rhay, Penitentiary Superintendent
SCDB identifiers: case 1968-001, docket 1968-001-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Retroactivity of new rights”
- Arsenault v. Massachusetts
- Fuller v. Alaska
- Berger v. California
- Destefano v. Woods
- Roberts v. Russell
- Desist v. United States
Cases on the same legal provision: Sixth Amendment (right to counsel)
- Burgett v. Texas
- Mempa v. Rhay
- Entsminger v. Iowa
- Coleman v. Alabama
- United States v. Tucker
- Kirby v. Illinois
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Arsenault v. Massachusetts
- International Terminal Operating Co., Inc. v. Nv Nederl. Amerik Stoomv Maats
- Fuller v. Alaska
- Smith v. Yeager
- Recznik v. City of Lorain
- Johnson v. Bennett
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