Torres v. Madrid

Decided March 25, 2021. John Glover Roberts Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 19-292 · 592 U.S. 306 (2021) · Cited 375 times

Holding

Application of physical force to the body of a person with intent to restrain is a seizure even if the person does not submit and is not subdued.

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 5–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).

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.

• California v. Hodari D. · 499 U.S. 621 (1991)
• Payton v. New York · 445 U.S. 573 (1980)
• Brower Ex Rel. Estate of Caldwell v. County of Inyo · 489 U.S. 593 (1989)
• Terry v. Ohio · 392 U.S. 1 (1968)
• County of Sacramento v. Lewis · 523 U.S. 833 (1998)
• Ratzlaf v. United States · 510 U.S. 135 (1994)
• Wallace v. Kato · 549 U.S. 384 (2007)
• Tennessee v. Garner · 471 U.S. 1 (1985)
• Boyd v. United States · 116 U.S. 616 (1886)
• Camara v. Municipal Court of City and County of San Francisco · 387 U.S. 523 (1967)
• United States v. Watson · 423 U.S. 411 (1976)
• Cohens v. Virginia · 19 U.S. 264 (1821)
• Michigan v. Chesternut · 486 U.S. 567 (1988)
• Scott v. Harris · 550 U.S. 372 (2007)
• Carroll v. United States · 267 U.S. 132 (1925)
• Tolan v. Cotton · 572 U.S. 650 (2014)
• United States v. Jacobsen · 466 U.S. 109 (1984)
• District of Columbia v. Heller · 554 U.S. 570 (2008)
• Olmstead v. United States · 277 U.S. 438 (1928)
• Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Delgado · 466 U.S. 210 (1984)
• Kyllo v. United States · 533 U.S. 27 (2001)
• Brendlin v. California · 551 U.S. 249 (2007)
• Atwater v. City of Lago Vista · 532 U.S. 318 (2001)
• United States v. Jones · 565 U.S. 400 (2012)
• United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co. · 200 U.S. 321 (1906)
• Miller v. United States · 357 U.S. 301 (1958)
• Wilson v. Arkansas · 514 U.S. 927 (1995)
• Central Virginia Community College v. Katz · 546 U.S. 356 (2006)
• Reno v. Bossier Parish School Board · 528 U.S. 320 (2000)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

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John Glover Roberts Jr.’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2021). 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).