Legal Opinion
Witherspoon v. Illinois
Supreme Court of the United States
Decided June 3, 1968No. 1015PublishedCited by 4,670 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtJustice Stewart
The petitioner was brought to trial in 1960 in Cook County, Illinois, upon a charge of murder. The jury found him guilty and fixed his penalty at death. At the time of his trial an Illinois statute provided:
“In trials for murder it shall be a cause for challenge of any juror who shall, on being examined, state that he has conscientious scruples against capital punishment, or that he is opposed to the same.” 1
Through this provision the State of Illinois armed the prosecution with unlimited challenges for cause in order *513to exclude those jurors who, in the words of the State’s highest court,…
2Cases cited61 opinions
- Glasser v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1942
- Stovall v. DennoSupreme Court of the United States · 1967
- Irvin v. DowdSupreme Court of the United States · 1961
- Johnson v. New JerseySupreme Court of the United States · 1966
- Linkletter v. WalkerSupreme Court of the United States · 1965
56 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by4,670 opinions
- Gregg v. GeorgiaSupreme Court of the United States · 1976
- Teague v. LaneSupreme Court of the United States · 1989
- Lockett v. OhioSupreme Court of the United States · 1978
- Darden v. WainwrightSupreme Court of the United States · 1986
- Wainwright v. WittSupreme Court of the United States · 1985
4,665 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.