Burks v. United States

Decided June 14, 1978. Warren Earl Burger delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 76-6528 · 437 U.S. 1 (1978) · Cited 4,912 times

Holding

The Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment precludes a second trial once the reviewing court has found the evidence insufficient to sustain the jury's verdict of guilty, and the only "just" remedy available for that court under 28 U.S.C.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 8–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Sapir v. United States · 348 U.S. 373 (1955)
• United States v. Ball · 163 U.S. 662 (1896)
• Bryan v. United States · 338 U.S. 552 (1950)
• Forman v. United States · 361 U.S. 416 (1960)
• Yates v. United States · 354 U.S. 298 (1957)
• Green v. United States · 355 U.S. 184 (1957)
• Louisiana Ex Rel. Francis v. Resweber · 329 U.S. 459 (1947)
• United States v. Wilson · 420 U.S. 332 (1975)
• Hopt v. People of Territory of Utah · 110 U.S. 574 (1884)
• Price v. Georgia · 398 U.S. 323 (1970)
• Hopt v. Utah · 120 U.S. 430 (1887)
• Hopt v. People · 104 U.S. 631 (1882)
• Glasser v. United States · 315 U.S. 60 (1942)
• North Carolina v. Pearce · 395 U.S. 711 (1969)
• United States v. Jorn · 400 U.S. 470 (1971)
• Wade v. Hunter · 336 U.S. 684 (1949)
• United States v. Martin Linen Supply Co. · 430 U.S. 564 (1977)
• Breed v. Jones · 421 U.S. 519 (1975)
• Serfass v. United States · 420 U.S. 377 (1975)
• American Tobacco Co. v. United States · 328 U.S. 781 (1946)
• United States v. Tateo · 377 U.S. 463 (1964)
• Davis v. United States · 160 U.S. 469 (1895)
• Fong Foo v. United States · 369 U.S. 141 (1962)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Lockhart v. Nelson · 488 U.S. 33 (1988)
• Justices of Boston Municipal Court v. Lydon · 466 U.S. 294 (1984)
• Richardson v. United States · 468 U.S. 317 (1984)
• Tibbs v. Florida · 457 U.S. 31 (1982)
• Hudson v. Louisiana · 450 U.S. 40 (1981)
• Poland v. Arizona · 476 U.S. 147 (1986)
• Monge v. California · 524 U.S. 721 (1998)
• Bullington v. Missouri · 451 U.S. 430 (1981)
• Smith v. United States · 599 U.S. 236 (2023)
• Evans v. Michigan · 568 U.S. 313 (2013)
• Musacchio v. United States · 577 U.S. 237 (2016)
• Smalis v. Pennsylvania · 476 U.S. 140 (1986)
• Nelson v. Colorado · 581 U.S. 128 (2017)
• Blueford v. Arkansas · 566 U.S. 599 (2012)
• McElrath v. Georgia · 601 U.S. 87 (2024)
• United States v. DiFrancesco · 449 U.S. 117 (1980)
• Smith v. Massachusetts · 543 U.S. 462 (2005)
• Missouri v. Hunter · 459 U.S. 359 (1983)
• County Court of Ulster Cty. v. Allen · 442 U.S. 140 (1979)
• Whalen v. United States · 445 U.S. 684 (1980)
• Grady v. Corbin · 495 U.S. 508 (1990)
• McDaniel v. Brown · 558 U.S. 120 (2010)
• Arizona v. Manypenny · 451 U.S. 232 (1981)
• Sattazahn v. Pennsylvania · 537 U.S. 101 (2003)
• Yeager v. United States · 557 U.S. 110 (2009)
• Swisher v. Brady · 438 U.S. 204 (1978)
• Montana v. Hall · 481 U.S. 400 (1987)
• Currier v. Virginia · 585 U.S. 493 (2018)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1978). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).