Napue v. Illinois

360 U.S. 264 · Decided June 15, 1959 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Napue v. Illinois was decided on June 15, 1959 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 “Extra-legal jury influences, prejudicial statements or evidence” in the Criminal Procedure area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Napue v. Illinois

SCDB identifiers: case 1958-111, docket 1958-111-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Extra-legal jury influences, prejudicial statements or evidence”

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  355 U.S. 28Decided November 12, 19579–0Per curiam
• Delli Paoli v. United States
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  350 U.S. 359Decided March 5, 19567–0Hugo L. Black
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  386 U.S. 14Decided February 13, 19678–1Per curiam

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Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)

• Spano v. New York
  360 U.S. 315Decided June 22, 19599–0Earl Warren
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  360 U.S. 334Decided June 22, 19598–0Felix Frankfurter
• Scull v. Virginia ex Rel. Committee on Law Reform and Racial Activities
  359 U.S. 344Decided May 4, 19599–0Hugo L. Black
• Northwestern States Portland Cement Co. v. Minnesota
  358 U.S. 450Decided February 24, 19596–3Tom C. Clark
• Blackburn v. Alabama
  361 U.S. 199Decided January 11, 19609–0Earl Warren
• Nelson v. County of Los Angeles
  362 U.S. 1Decided February 29, 19605–3Tom C. Clark

Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)

• Hawkins v. United States
  358 U.S. 74Decided November 24, 19589–0Hugo L. Black
• Ladner v. United StatesAltered precedent
  358 U.S. 169Decided December 15, 19588–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• United States ex Rel. Jennings v. Ragen
  358 U.S. 276Decided January 12, 19598–0Per curiam
• Draper v. United States
  358 U.S. 307Decided January 26, 19596–1Charles E. Whittaker
• Greene v. United States
  358 U.S. 326Decided January 26, 19599–0Per curiam
• Heflin v. United States
  358 U.S. 415Decided February 24, 19599–0William O. Douglas

See all

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