Cinda Sandin, Unit Team Manager, Halawa Correctional Facility v. Demont R. D. Conner et al.

Decided June 19, 1995. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 93-1911 · 515 U.S. 472 (1995) · Cited 9,097 times

Holding

The trial judge’s refusal to submit the question of “materiality” to the jury was unconstitutional.

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.

• Wolff v. McDonnell · 418 U.S. 539 (1974)
• Hewitt v. Helms · 459 U.S. 460 (1983)
• Meachum v. Fano · 427 U.S. 215 (1976)
• Kentucky Department of Corrections v. Thompson · 490 U.S. 454 (1989)
• Bell v. Wolfish · 441 U.S. 520 (1979)
• Olim v. Wakinekona · 461 U.S. 238 (1983)
• Greenholtz v. Inmates of the Nebraska Penal & Correctional Complex · 442 U.S. 1 (1979)
• Vitek v. Jones · 445 U.S. 480 (1980)
• Ingraham v. Wright · 430 U.S. 651 (1977)
• Morrissey v. Brewer · 408 U.S. 471 (1972)
• Kennedy v. Mendoza-Martinez · 372 U.S. 144 (1963)
• Washington v. Harper · 494 U.S. 210 (1990)
• Montanye v. Haymes · 427 U.S. 236 (1976)
• Board of Regents of State Colleges v. Roth · 408 U.S. 564 (1972)
• Goss v. Lopez · 419 U.S. 565 (1975)
• Baxter v. Palmigiano · 425 U.S. 308 (1976)
• Jones v. North Carolina Prisoners' Labor Union, Inc. · 433 U.S. 119 (1977)
• Board of Pardons v. Allen · 482 U.S. 369 (1987)
• Mathews v. Eldridge · 424 U.S. 319 (1976)
• United States v. Salerno · 481 U.S. 739 (1987)
• Hughes v. Rowe · 449 U.S. 5 (1980)
• Cafeteria & Restaurant Workers Union, Local 473 v. McElroy · 367 U.S. 886 (1961)
• Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath · 341 U.S. 123 (1951)
• Price v. Johnston · 334 U.S. 266 (1948)
• Codd v. Velger · 429 U.S. 624 (1977)
• United States v. Florida East Coast Railway Co. · 410 U.S. 224 (1973)

Cited by

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

• Wilkinson v. Austin · 545 U.S. 209 (2005)
• McKune v. Lile · 536 U.S. 24 (2002)
• Lewis v. Casey · 518 U.S. 343 (1996)
• Ohio Adult Parole Authority v. Woodard · 523 U.S. 272 (1998)
• Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales · 545 U.S. 748 (2005)
• Overton v. Bazzetta · 539 U.S. 126 (2003)
• Sessions v. Dimaya · 584 U.S. 148 (2018)
• Safford Unified School District 1 v. Redding · 557 U.S. 364 (2009)
• Young v. Harper · 520 U.S. 143 (1997)

Official text

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

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1995). 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).