Miller v. Fenton, Superintendent, Rahway State Prison, et al.

Decided December 3, 1985. Sandra Day O'Connor delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 84-5786 · 474 U.S. 104 (1985) · Cited 1,743 times

Holding

The voluntariness of a confession is not an issue of fact entitled to the 2254(d) presumption but is a legal question meriting independent consideration in a federal habeas corpus proceeding.

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 8–1.

“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.

• Townsend v. Sain · 372 U.S. 293 (1963)
• Maggio v. Fulford · 462 U.S. 111 (1983)
• Miranda v. Arizona · 384 U.S. 436 (1966)
• Wainwright v. Witt · 469 U.S. 412 (1985)
• Culombe v. Connecticut · 367 U.S. 568 (1961)
• Marshall v. Lonberger · 459 U.S. 422 (1983)
• Patton v. Yount · 467 U.S. 1025 (1984)
• Haynes v. Washington · 373 U.S. 503 (1963)
• Mincey v. Arizona · 437 U.S. 385 (1978)
• Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc. · 466 U.S. 485 (1984)
• Rushen v. Spain · 464 U.S. 114 (1983)
• Davis v. North Carolina · 384 U.S. 737 (1966)
• Ashcraft v. Tennessee · 322 U.S. 143 (1944)
• Blackburn v. Alabama · 361 U.S. 199 (1960)
• Brown v. Mississippi · 297 U.S. 278 (1936)
• Jackson v. Denno · 378 U.S. 368 (1964)
• Malloy v. Hogan · 378 U.S. 1 (1964)
• Pullman-Standard v. Swint · 456 U.S. 273 (1982)
• Sumner v. Mata · 449 U.S. 539 (1981)
• Frazier v. Cupp · 394 U.S. 731 (1969)
• Rogers v. Richmond · 365 U.S. 534 (1961)
• Moragne v. States Marine Lines, Inc. · 398 U.S. 375 (1970)
• Chambers v. Florida · 309 U.S. 227 (1940)
• Watts v. Indiana · 338 U.S. 49 (1949)
• Gallegos v. Colorado · 370 U.S. 49 (1962)
• Norris v. Alabama · 294 U.S. 587 (1935)
• Sumner v. Mata · 455 U.S. 591 (1982)
• Boulden v. Holman · 394 U.S. 478 (1969)
• Baumgartner v. United States · 322 U.S. 665 (1944)
• Dayton Board of Education v. Brinkman · 443 U.S. 526 (1979)

Cited by

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

• Thompson v. Keohane · 516 U.S. 99 (1995)
• Williams v. Taylor · 529 U.S. 362 (2000)
• Wright v. West · 505 U.S. 277 (1992)
• Hernandez v. New York · 500 U.S. 352 (1991)
• Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. v. Albrecht · 587 U.S. 299 (2019)
• Colorado v. Connelly · 479 U.S. 157 (1986)
• Rita v. United States · 551 U.S. 338 (2007)
• Ornelas v. United States · 517 U.S. 690 (1996)
• Arizona v. Fulminante · 499 U.S. 279 (1991)
• Moran v. Burbine · 475 U.S. 412 (1986)
• MARKMAN Et Al. v. WESTVIEW INSTRUMENTS, INC., Et Al. · 517 U.S. 370 (1996)
• Illinois v. Perkins · 496 U.S. 292 (1990)
• Withrow v. Williams · 507 U.S. 680 (1993)
• Jefferson v. Upton · 560 U.S. 284 (2010)
• Bufkin v. Collins · 604 U.S. 369 (2025)
• Pierce v. Underwood · 487 U.S. 552 (1988)
• Cooter & Gell v. Hartmarx Corp. · 496 U.S. 384 (1990)
• Koon v. United States · 518 U.S. 81 (1996)
• Crane v. Kentucky · 476 U.S. 683 (1986)
• Wilton v. Seven Falls Co. · 515 U.S. 277 (1995)
• Rose v. Clark · 478 U.S. 570 (1986)
• Salve Regina College v. Russell · 499 U.S. 225 (1991)
• Godinez v. Moran · 509 U.S. 389 (1993)
• Smith v. Murray · 477 U.S. 527 (1986)
• Parke v. Raley · 506 U.S. 20 (1992)
• Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms · 561 U.S. 139 (2010)
• Butler v. McKellar · 494 U.S. 407 (1990)
• Buford v. United States · 532 U.S. 59 (2001)
• Bobby v. Dixon · 565 U.S. 23 (2011)
• McLane Co. v. EEOC · 581 U.S. 72 (2017)

Official text

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

Explore from here

Sandra Day O'Connor’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1985). 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).