Pervis Tyrone Payne v. Tennessee

Decided June 27, 1991. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 90-5721 · 501 U.S. 808 (1991) · Cited 3,458 times

Holding

The Eighth Amendment erects no per se bar prohibiting a capital sentencing jury from considering "victim impact" evidence relating to the victim's personal characteristics and the emotional impact of the murder on the victim's family, or precluding a prosecutor from arguing such evidence at a capital sentencing hearing.

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 6–3.

“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.

• Booth v. Maryland · 482 U.S. 496 (1987)
• South Carolina v. Gathers · 490 U.S. 805 (1989)
• Woodson v. North Carolina · 428 U.S. 280 (1976)
• Williams v. New York · 337 U.S. 241 (1949)
• Swift & Co. v. Wickham · 382 U.S. 111 (1965)
• Kesler v. Department of Public Safety of Utah · 369 U.S. 153 (1962)
• Lockett v. Ohio · 438 U.S. 586 (1978)
• Patterson v. McLean Credit Union · 491 U.S. 164 (1989)
• Mills v. Maryland · 486 U.S. 367 (1988)
• Gregg v. Georgia · 428 U.S. 153 (1976)
• Enmund v. Florida · 458 U.S. 782 (1982)
• Burnet v. Coronado Oil & Gas Co. · 285 U.S. 393 (1932)
• Eddings v. Oklahoma · 455 U.S. 104 (1982)
• Tison v. Arizona · 481 U.S. 137 (1987)
• Continental T. v. Inc. v. GTE Sylvania Inc. · 433 U.S. 36 (1977)
• Zant v. Stephens · 462 U.S. 862 (1983)
• Darden v. Wainwright · 477 U.S. 168 (1986)
• Penry v. Lynaugh · 492 U.S. 302 (1989)
• McCleskey v. Kemp · 481 U.S. 279 (1987)
• Gardner v. Florida · 430 U.S. 349 (1977)
• Vasquez v. Hillery · 474 U.S. 254 (1986)
• Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority · 469 U.S. 528 (1985)
• California v. Brown · 479 U.S. 538 (1987)
• Mitchell v. W. T. Grant Co. · 416 U.S. 600 (1974)
• National League of Cities v. Usery · 426 U.S. 833 (1976)
• Moragne v. States Marine Lines, Inc. · 398 U.S. 375 (1970)
• Welch v. Texas Department of Highways & Public Transportation · 483 U.S. 468 (1987)
• Arizona v. Rumsey · 467 U.S. 203 (1984)
• United States v. Arnold, Schwinn & Co. · 388 U.S. 365 (1967)
• Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists · 476 U.S. 747 (1986)

Cited by

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

• Bosse v. Oklahoma · 580 U.S. 1 (2016)
• Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization · 597 U.S. 215 (2022)
• Andrew v. White · 604 U.S. 86 (2025)
• Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. · 551 U.S. 449 (2007)
• Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC · 576 U.S. 466 (2015)
• Arizona v. Gant · 556 U.S. 332 (2009)
• Dawson v. Delaware · 503 U.S. 159 (1992)
• Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc. · 551 U.S. 877 (2007)
• Ramos v. Louisiana · 590 U.S. 83 (2020)
• Johnson v. United States · 576 U.S. 591 (2015)
• Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission · 558 U.S. 310 (2010)
• Knick v. Township of Scott · 588 U.S. 180 (2019)
• Michigan v. Bay Mills Indian Community · 572 U.S. 782 (2014)
• Kisor v. Wilkie · 588 U.S. 558 (2019)
• Janus v. State, County, and Municipal Employees · 585 U.S. 878 (2018)
• Pearson v. Callahan · 555 U.S. 223 (2009)
• Scott v. Harris · 550 U.S. 372 (2007)
• Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida · 517 U.S. 44 (1996)
• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey · 505 U.S. 833 (1992)
• Montejo v. Louisiana · 556 U.S. 778 (2009)
• Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo · 603 U.S. 369 (2024)
• Hohn v. United States · 524 U.S. 236 (1998)
• Holder v. Hall · 512 U.S. 874 (1994)
• Gamble v. United States · 587 U.S. 678 (2019)
• United States v. International Business MacHines Corp. · 517 U.S. 843 (1996)
• Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. · 557 U.S. 167 (2009)
• Ewing v. California · 538 U.S. 11 (2003)
• Baze v. Rees · 553 U.S. 35 (2008)
• Morse v. Frederick · 551 U.S. 393 (2007)
• Kansas v. Kansas · 577 U.S. 108 (2016)

Official text

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

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1991). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).