Supreme Court of the United States / October Term 1975

Estelle, Corrections Director v. Williams

Decided May 3, 1976. Warren Earl Burger delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 74-676 · 425 U.S. 501 (1976) · Cited 2,305 times

Holding

Although the State cannot, consistent with the Fourteenth Amendment, compel an accused to stand trial before a jury while dressed in identifiable prison clothes, the failure to make an objection to the court as to being tried in such clothes negates the presence of the compulsion necessary to establish a constitutional violation.

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 6–2.

“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.

Fay v. Noia · 372 U.S. 391 (1963)
Johnson v. Zerbst · 304 U.S. 458 (1938)
Illinois v. Allen · 397 U.S. 337 (1970)
Barker v. Wingo · 407 U.S. 514 (1972)
Schneckloth v. Bustamonte · 412 U.S. 218 (1973)
Harrington v. California · 395 U.S. 250 (1969)
Henry v. Mississippi · 379 U.S. 443 (1965)
Chapman v. California · 386 U.S. 18 (1967)
In Re WINSHIP · 397 U.S. 358 (1970)
Neil v. Biggers · 409 U.S. 188 (1972)
McMann v. Richardson · 397 U.S. 759 (1970)
Faretta v. California · 422 U.S. 806 (1975)
Glasser v. United States · 315 U.S. 60 (1942)
Gideon v. Wainwright · 372 U.S. 335 (1963)
Powell v. Alabama · 287 U.S. 45 (1932)
Griffin v. Illinois · 351 U.S. 12 (1956)
Mullaney v. Wilbur · 421 U.S. 684 (1975)
Drope v. Missouri · 420 U.S. 162 (1975)
In Re Murchison. · 349 U.S. 133 (1955)
Estes v. Texas · 381 U.S. 532 (1965)
Brookhart v. Janis · 384 U.S. 1 (1966)
Turner v. Louisiana · 379 U.S. 466 (1965)
United States v. Chemical Foundation, Inc. · 272 U.S. 1 (1926)
Maness v. Meyers · 419 U.S. 449 (1975)
On Lee v. United States · 343 U.S. 747 (1952)
Kaufman v. United States · 394 U.S. 217 (1969)
Garner v. United States · 424 U.S. 648 (1976)
United States v. Dickinson · 331 U.S. 745 (1947)
Sinclair v. United States · 279 U.S. 263 (1929)
Boulden v. Holman · 394 U.S. 478 (1969)

Cited by

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

Carey v. Musladin · 549 U.S. 70 (2006)
Holbrook v. Flynn · 475 U.S. 560 (1986)
Deck v. Missouri · 544 U.S. 622 (2005)
Taylor v. Kentucky · 436 U.S. 478 (1978)
Riggins v. Nevada · 504 U.S. 127 (1992)
Wainwright v. Sykes · 433 U.S. 72 (1977)
Wright v. Van Patten · 552 U.S. 120 (2008)
Coy v. Iowa · 487 U.S. 1012 (1988)
Kaley v. United States · 571 U.S. 320 (2014)
Delo v. Lashley · 507 U.S. 272 (1993)
Jackson v. Virginia · 443 U.S. 307 (1979)
Bell v. Wolfish · 441 U.S. 520 (1979)
United States v. Cronic · 466 U.S. 648 (1984)
Rose v. Lundy · 455 U.S. 509 (1982)
United States v. Salerno · 481 U.S. 739 (1987)
Stone v. Powell · 428 U.S. 465 (1976)
Engle v. Isaac · 456 U.S. 107 (1982)
Brewer v. Williams · 430 U.S. 387 (1977)
McKaskle v. Wiggins · 465 U.S. 168 (1984)
Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia · 448 U.S. 555 (1980)
Gardner v. Florida · 430 U.S. 349 (1977)
Henderson v. Kibbe · 431 U.S. 145 (1977)
Reed v. Ross · 468 U.S. 1 (1984)
Kentucky v. Whorton · 441 U.S. 786 (1979)

Official text

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

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1976). 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).