Murch v. Mottram
409 U.S. 41 · Decided November 6, 1972 · 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
Murch v. Mottram was decided on November 6, 1972 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. 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
- 409 U.S. 41 · 93 S. Ct. 71 · 34 L. Ed. 2d 194 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 14
- Docket number
- 72-55
- Decided
- November 6, 1972
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Habeas corpus
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | 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 |
Full case caption
Murch et al. v. Mottram
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-006, docket 1972-006-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Habeas corpus”
- Neil v. Biggers
- Braden v. 30TH Judicial Circuit Court of KentuckyAltered precedent
- Hensley v. Municipal Court
- Strait v. Laird
- Preiser v. Rodriguez
- Humphrey v. Cady
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Webb v. Texas
- Cool v. United States
- Neil v. Biggers
- Swenson v. Stidham
- One Lot Emerald Cut Stones and One Ring v. United States
- Erlenbaugh 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