Tompkins v. Texas
490 U.S. 754 · Decided June 5, 1989 · 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
Tompkins v. Texas was decided on June 5, 1989 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 490 U.S. 754 · 109 S. Ct. 2180 · 104 L. Ed. 2d 834 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 2755
- Docket number
- 87-6405
- Decided
- June 5, 1989
- Argued
- December 6, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Unspecifiable what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: Sandra Day O'Connor.
Full case caption
Tompkins v. Texas
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-101, docket 1988-101-01.
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