Wainwright v. Greenfield
474 U.S. 284 · Decided January 14, 1986 · 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
Wainwright v. Greenfield was decided on January 14, 1986 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Self-incrimination (general)” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 474 U.S. 284 · 106 S. Ct. 634 · 88 L. Ed. 2d 623 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 41
- Docket number
- 84-1480
- Decided
- January 14, 1986
- Argued
- November 13, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Self-incrimination (general)
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- 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 Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Wainwright, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections v. Greenfield
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-022, docket 1985-022-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Self-incrimination (general)”
- Allen v. Illinois
- Selective Service System v. Minnesota Public Interest Research Group
- United States v. Doe
- Minnesota v. Murphy
- United States v. Thomas O. Robinson, Jr.
- Braswell v. United States
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Regents of the University of Michigan v. Ewing
- Hill v. Lockhart
- Aetna Life Insurance Co. v. Lavoie
- Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Delaware v. Fensterer
- Lanier v. South Carolina
- Pennsylvania v. Goldhammer
- Hill v. Lockhart
- Heath v. Alabama
- Miller v. Fenton
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