Robbins v. California
453 U.S. 420 · Decided July 1, 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
Robbins v. California was decided on July 1, 1981 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Search and seizure, vehicles” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 453 U.S. 420 · 101 S. Ct. 2841 · 69 L. Ed. 2d 744 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 132
- Docket number
- 80-148
- Decided
- July 1, 1981
- Argued
- April 27, 1981
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Search and seizure, vehicles
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Fourth Amendment
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Robbins v. California
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-146, docket 1980-146-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Search and seizure, vehicles”
- New York v. Belton
- United States v. Cortez
- Colorado v. Bannister
- United States v. RossAltered precedent
- Michigan v. Thomas
- Texas v. Brown
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourth Amendment
- Michigan v. Summers
- Steagald v. United States
- Washington v. Chrisman
- Reid v. Georgia
- United States v. SalvucciAltered precedent
- Rawlings v. Kentucky
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Colorado v. Bannister
- United States v. Difrancesco
- Watkins v. Sowders
- United States v. Morrison
- Mariscal v. United States
- United States v. Cortez
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