Sumner v. Mata
455 U.S. 591 · Decided March 22, 1982 · 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
Sumner v. Mata was decided on March 22, 1982 by a vote of 6–3. The Court vacated 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 “Habeas corpus” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 455 U.S. 591 · 102 S. Ct. 1303 · 71 L. Ed. 2d 480 · 1982 U.S. LEXIS 83
- Docket number
- 81-844
- Decided
- March 22, 1982
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- 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
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| 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 | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Sumner, Warden v. Mata
SCDB identifiers: case 1981-060, docket 1981-060-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Habeas corpus”
- Engle v. Isaac
- United States v. Frady
- Rose v. Lundy
- Lehman on Behalf of Her Children v. Lycoming County Children's Services Agency
- Harris v. Rivera
- Duckworth v. Serrano
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Barefoot v. Estelle
- Antone v. Dugger
- Cuyler v. Sullivan
- Wainwright v. Witt
- Vasquez v. Hillery
- Kimmelman v. Morrison
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Duckworth v. Serrano
- Harris v. Rivera
- Boag v. Macdougall
- Hutto v. Davis
- Washington v. Chrisman
- Eddings v. Oklahoma
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