Sunal v. Large, Superintendent, Federal Prison Camp

Decided June 23, 1947. William Orville Douglas delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 535 · 332 U.S. 174 (1947) · Cited 419 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 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.

• Estep v. United States · 327 U.S. 114 (1946)
• Bowen v. Johnston · 306 U.S. 19 (1939)
• Falbo v. United States · 320 U.S. 549 (1944)
• Ex Parte Bain · 121 U.S. 1 (1887)
• Tinsley v. Treat · 205 U.S. 20 (1907)
• Johnson v. Zerbst · 304 U.S. 458 (1938)
• Ex Parte Lange · 85 U.S. 163 (1874)
• Counselman v. Hitchcock · 142 U.S. 547 (1892)
• Walker v. Johnston · 312 U.S. 275 (1941)
• Nielsen · 131 U.S. 176 (1889)
• Ex Parte Yarbrough · 110 U.S. 651 (1884)
• Moore v. Dempsey · 261 U.S. 86 (1923)
• Waley v. Johnston · 316 U.S. 101 (1942)
• In Re Sawyer · 124 U.S. 200 (1888)
• Ex Parte Wilson · 114 U.S. 417 (1885)
• Salinger v. Loisel · 265 U.S. 224 (1924)
• In Re Snow · 120 U.S. 274 (1887)
• Ex Parte Hudgings · 249 U.S. 378 (1919)
• Ex Parte Curtis · 106 U.S. 371 (1882)
• Henry v. Henkel · 235 U.S. 219 (1914)
• Johnson v. Hoy · 227 U.S. 245 (1913)
• Yick Wo v. Hopkins · 118 U.S. 356 (1886)
• Adams v. United States Ex Rel. McCann · 317 U.S. 269 (1943)
• Yakus v. United States · 321 U.S. 414 (1944)
• Ex Parte Virginia · 100 U.S. 339 (1880)
• Bridges v. Wixon · 326 U.S. 135 (1945)
• Ex Parte Hawk · 321 U.S. 114 (1944)
• Escoe v. Zerbst · 295 U.S. 490 (1935)
• Sunal v. Large · 332 U.S. 174 (1947)
• House v. Mayo · 324 U.S. 42 (1945)

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).