Sandstrom v. Montana

Decided June 18, 1979. William Joseph Brennan Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 78-5384 · 442 U.S. 510 (1979) · Cited 3,585 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 9–0.

“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.

• Mullaney v. Wilbur · 421 U.S. 684 (1975)
• Morissette v. United States · 342 U.S. 246 (1952)
• In Re WINSHIP · 397 U.S. 358 (1970)
• Patterson v. New York · 432 U.S. 197 (1977)
• United States v. United States Gypsum Co. · 438 U.S. 422 (1978)
• Leary v. United States · 395 U.S. 6 (1969)
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America v. United States · 330 U.S. 395 (1947)
• Coleman v. Alabama · 399 U.S. 1 (1970)
• Bollenbach v. United States · 326 U.S. 607 (1946)
• Bachellar v. Maryland · 397 U.S. 564 (1970)
• Chapman v. California · 386 U.S. 18 (1967)
• Roviaro v. United States · 353 U.S. 53 (1957)
• Cupp v. Naughten · 414 U.S. 141 (1973)
• Reynolds v. United States · 98 U.S. 145 (1879)
• United States v. Martin Linen Supply Co. · 430 U.S. 564 (1977)
• Stromberg v. California · 283 U.S. 359 (1931)
• Turner v. United States · 396 U.S. 398 (1970)
• Tot v. United States · 319 U.S. 463 (1943)
• Barnes v. United States · 412 U.S. 837 (1973)
• Radio Officers' Union of the Commercial Telegraphers Union v. National Labor Relations Board · 347 U.S. 17 (1954)
• Moore v. Illinois · 434 U.S. 220 (1977)
• United States v. Gainey · 380 U.S. 63 (1965)
• United States v. Romano · 382 U.S. 136 (1965)
• United States v. Vuitch · 402 U.S. 62 (1971)
• Cramer v. United States · 325 U.S. 1 (1945)
• Hickory v. United States · 160 U.S. 408 (1896)

Cited by

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

• Francis v. Franklin · 471 U.S. 307 (1985)
• Connecticut v. Johnson · 460 U.S. 73 (1983)
• Rose v. Clark · 478 U.S. 570 (1986)
• Boyde v. California · 494 U.S. 370 (1990)
• Carella v. California · 491 U.S. 263 (1989)
• Yates v. Aiken · 484 U.S. 211 (1988)
• Anderson v. Harless · 459 U.S. 4 (1982)
• Gilmore v. Taylor · 508 U.S. 333 (1993)
• Yates v. Evatt · 500 U.S. 391 (1991)
• Sullivan v. Louisiana · 508 U.S. 275 (1993)
• California v. Brown · 479 U.S. 538 (1987)
• Schad v. Arizona · 501 U.S. 624 (1991)
• Estelle v. McGuire · 502 U.S. 62 (1991)
• Gray v. Netherland · 518 U.S. 152 (1996)
• Mills v. Maryland · 486 U.S. 367 (1988)
• Saffle v. Parks · 494 U.S. 484 (1990)
• Montana v. Egelhoff · 518 U.S. 37 (1996)
• District Attorney's Office for the Third Judicial District v. Osborne · 557 U.S. 52 (2009)
• Pope v. Illinois · 481 U.S. 497 (1987)
• Clark v. Arizona · 548 U.S. 735 (2006)
• Apprendi v. New Jersey · 530 U.S. 466 (2000)
• Teague v. Lane · 489 U.S. 288 (1989)
• United States v. Frady · 456 U.S. 152 (1982)
• Penry v. Lynaugh · 492 U.S. 302 (1989)
• Duncan v. Henry · 513 U.S. 364 (1995)
• Marshall v. Lonberger · 459 U.S. 422 (1983)
• United States v. Bailey · 444 U.S. 394 (1980)
• Cheek v. United States · 498 U.S. 192 (1991)
• Reed v. Ross · 468 U.S. 1 (1984)
• Virginia v. Black · 538 U.S. 343 (2003)

Official text

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

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). 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).