Wilkins v. United States
441 U.S. 468 · Decided April 30, 1979 · 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
Wilkins v. United States was decided on April 30, 1979 by a vote of 6–2. 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 “Indigents, inadequate representation by counsel” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 441 U.S. 468 · 99 S. Ct. 1829 · 60 L. Ed. 2d 365 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 96
- Docket number
- 78-5885
- Decided
- April 30, 1979
- 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
- 6–2
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indigents, inadequate representation by counsel
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 18 U.S.C. § 3006
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..
Full case caption
Wilkins v. United States
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-088, docket 1978-088-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indigents, inadequate representation by counsel”
- Holloway v. Arkansas
- Wood v. Georgia
- Strickland v. Washington
- McCoy v. Court of Appeals of Wisconsin
- Penson v. Ohio
- Johnson v. Avery
Cases on the same legal provision: 18 U.S.C. § 3006
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
- Dougherty County v. White
- Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
- Califano v. Aznavorian
- Lalli v. Lalli
- Duren v. MissouriAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
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