Watkins v. Sowders
449 U.S. 341 · Decided January 13, 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
Watkins v. Sowders was decided on January 13, 1981 by a vote of 7–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Line-up identification” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 449 U.S. 341 · 101 S. Ct. 654 · 66 L. Ed. 2d 549 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 53
- Docket number
- 79-5949
- Decided
- January 13, 1981
- Argued
- November 10, 1980
- 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
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Line-up identification
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- 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 Potter Stewart | Majority | 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 | Majority |
Full case caption
Watkins v. Sowders, Warden
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-021, docket 1980-021-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Line-up identification”
- United States v. Crews
- Moore v. Illinois
- Manson v. Brathwaite
- United States v. Ash
- Kirby v. Illinois
- Foster v. California
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Little v. StreaterLaw held unconstitutional
- Connecticut Board of Pardons v. Dumschat
- Beck v. AlabamaLaw held unconstitutional
- Hicks v. Oklahoma
- Anderson v. Charles
- Exxon Corp. v. Department of Revenue of Wisconsin
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Colorado v. Bannister
- United States v. Difrancesco
- United States v. Morrison
- Mariscal v. United States
- United States v. Cortez
- Rubin v. United States
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