Castaneda, Sheriff v. Partida

Decided March 23, 1977. Harry Andrew Blackmun delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 75-1552 · 430 U.S. 482 (1977) · Cited 1,507 times

Holding

Based on all the facts that bear on the grand jury discrimination issue, such as the statistical disparties (the county population was 79% Mexican-American, but, over an 11-year period, only 39% of those summoned for grand jury service were Mexican-American), the method of jury selection, and any other relevant testimony as to the manner in which the selection process was implemented, the proof offered by respondent was sufficient to demonstrate a prima facie case of intentional discrimination in grand jury selection, and the State failed to rebut such presumption by competent evidence.

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 5–4.

“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.

• Alexander v. Louisiana · 405 U.S. 625 (1972)
• Turner v. Fouche · 396 U.S. 346 (1970)
• Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp. · 429 U.S. 252 (1977)
• Washington v. Davis · 426 U.S. 229 (1976)
• Hernandez v. Texas · 347 U.S. 475 (1954)
• Smith v. Texas · 311 U.S. 128 (1941)
• Cassell v. Texas · 339 U.S. 282 (1950)
• Stone v. Powell · 428 U.S. 465 (1976)
• Whitus v. Georgia · 385 U.S. 545 (1967)
• Akins v. Texas · 325 U.S. 398 (1945)
• Hill v. Texas · 316 U.S. 400 (1942)
• Jones v. Georgia · 389 U.S. 24 (1967)
• Yick Wo v. Hopkins · 118 U.S. 356 (1886)
• Gomillion v. Lightfoot · 364 U.S. 339 (1960)
• Norris v. Alabama · 294 U.S. 587 (1935)
• Carter v. Jury Comm'n of Greene Cty. · 396 U.S. 320 (1970)
• Eubanks v. Louisiana · 356 U.S. 584 (1958)
• Sims v. Georgia · 389 U.S. 404 (1967)
• Swain v. Alabama · 380 U.S. 202 (1965)
• Strauder v. West Virginia · 100 U.S. 303 (1880)
• Pierre v. Louisiana · 306 U.S. 354 (1939)
• Arnold v. North Carolina · 376 U.S. 773 (1964)
• Taylor v. Louisiana · 419 U.S. 522 (1975)
• Peters v. Kiff · 407 U.S. 493 (1972)
• Neal v. Delaware · 103 U.S. 370 (1881)
• Patton v. Mississippi · 332 U.S. 463 (1947)
• Carter v. Texas · 177 U.S. 442 (1900)
• Reece v. Georgia · 350 U.S. 85 (1955)
• Rogers v. Alabama · 192 U.S. 226 (1904)
• Bush v. Kentucky · 107 U.S. 110 (1883)

Cited by

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

• Rose v. Mitchell · 443 U.S. 545 (1979)
• Hazelwood School District v. United States · 433 U.S. 299 (1977)
• McCleskey v. Kemp · 481 U.S. 279 (1987)
• Batson v. Kentucky · 476 U.S. 79 (1986)
• Wayte v. United States · 470 U.S. 598 (1985)
• Powers v. Ohio · 499 U.S. 400 (1991)
• Vasquez v. Hillery · 474 U.S. 254 (1986)
• City of Mobile v. Bolden · 446 U.S. 55 (1980)
• Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado · 580 U.S. 206 (2017)
• Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc. · 523 U.S. 75 (1998)
• Duren v. Missouri · 439 U.S. 357 (1979)
• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke · 438 U.S. 265 (1978)
• Holland v. Illinois · 493 U.S. 474 (1990)
• Wainwright v. Sykes · 433 U.S. 72 (1977)
• Employment Div., Dept. of Human Resources of Ore. v. Smith · 494 U.S. 872 (1990)
• Personnel Administrator of Mass. v. Feeney · 442 U.S. 256 (1979)
• Lockhart v. McCree · 476 U.S. 162 (1986)
• Watson v. Fort Worth Bank & Trust · 487 U.S. 977 (1988)
• City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson Co. · 488 U.S. 469 (1989)
• Campbell v. Louisiana · 523 U.S. 392 (1998)
• Hobby v. United States · 468 U.S. 339 (1984)

Official text

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

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1977). 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).