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Supreme Court · Decisions

Singer v. United States

380 U.S. 24 · No. 42 · 1964 term · Warren Court

Decided Mar 1, 1965 · argued Nov 18, 1964

Criminal procedure · Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure

Majority opinion: Earl Warren

The voteMajority

9–09 in the majority, 0 in dissent

No dissent (9–0)

Affirmed. Singer lost.

What this ruling means

Affirmed: the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, so it stands (sometimes with changes the Court made to it).

Singer was the petitioner, the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the case. “Lost” means the Court did not give that side the result it asked for.

From the Supreme Court Database. A justice who agreed with the result but not the reasoning counts in the majority.

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Summary

The opening of the case’s Wikipedia article: what the case was about and what the Court held.

Wikipedia has no article on this case, so there is no summary.

Data notes

The text is Wikipedia’s (CC BY-SA 4.0), matched to the case by its citation, docket number or name and year, and is not checked against the opinion. The site keeps the article’s opening section, ending on its last full sentence. The one-sentence summary under the title is the Decisions list’s: Wikipedia’s own ruling sentence, or, tagged “AI-written”, one Claude wrote from this opening.

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How the justices voted

Each justice who took part, placed by their Martin–Quinn ideology score for the 1964 term. Filled: the 9 in the majority. Hollow: the 0 in dissent. Colour is the party of the president who appointed them.

More liberalMore conservativeMedianDouglasWarrenBrennanBlackGoldbergWhiteClarkStewartHarlan

Majority(9)

Dissent(0)

  • None.
Data notes

Each justice’s vote and what they wrote are from the justice-centered file of the Supreme Court Database. “Wrote a concurrence” means the justice sided with the majority and wrote separately; a justice who dissented in part is counted on the side they took overall. A justice who wrote nothing is listed as joining their side.

Positions are each justice’s Martin–Quinn score for the case’s term, the same scores as the Ideology page: negative is more liberal, positive more conservative. A score sums up a justice’s votes across the whole term, so it says where they usually sit, not why they voted as they did here. The median line is the Court’s median justice that term.

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The parties

Who brought the case to the Court, who answered it, and how it got there.

Petitioner
SingerPerson accused, indicted, or suspected of crime
Respondent
United StatesUnited States
Reached the Court by
Certiorari (the Court chose to hear it)
Data notes

The names are the two sides of the case’s title. The description under each is the Supreme Court Database’s category for that party, in its own wording. The petitioner is the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the decision below. “Why it was taken” appears only when the majority opinion says lower courts disagreed or were unsure about the question; reasons that would fit any case (“to resolve the question presented”, “an important question”) are left out.

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The law at issue

The law the Court was asked to apply, and the kind of power it used to decide.

Provision
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, or relevant rules of a circuit court
Kind of law
Court Rules
Decided by
Statutory construction
Data notes

The Supreme Court Database codes the main constitutional provision, statute or court rule each case turned on, and the basis of the decision: judicial review of a federal or state law, interpreting a statute, supervising the lower courts, and so on. A case can rest on more than one. “Overruled” counts only where the majority opinion says so.

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Timeline

What happened at the Court and how the case got there, newest first.

  1. Mar 1, 1965DecidedDecided · Decided 9–0: affirmed. Singer lost.
  2. Nov 18, 1964ArguedArgued · Oral argument before the Court.
  3. Not datedTaken upTaken up · The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case (certiorari).
  4. Not datedCourt belowCourt below · Decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit: affirmed.
  5. Not datedBeganBegan · The case began in the California Southern U.S. District Court.
Data notes

From the Supreme Court Database: the court the case began in, the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed and what that court did, how the case came to the Court, and the dates of argument and decision. The database does not date the steps in the lower courts. Court names are the database’s.

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Other decisions on the same issue

55 other argued cases since 1946 on federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, newest first.

  1. Holguin-Hernandez v. United States140 S. Ct. 762Feb 26, 2020 · 140 S. Ct. 762Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  2. United States, Petitioner v. Anthony Davila569 U.S. 597Jun 13, 2013 · 569 U.S. 597Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band

  3. Armarcion D. Henderson, Petitioner v. United States568 U.S. 266Feb 20, 2013 · 568 U.S. 266Criminal procedure6–36–3 band

  4. United States v. Glenn Marcus560 U.S. 258May 24, 2010 · 560 U.S. 258Criminal procedure7–18–1 band

  5. United States v. Leonard Cotton, Marquette Hall, Lamont Thomas, Matilda Hall, Jovan Powell, Jesus Hall, and Stanley Hall, Jr.535 U.S. 625May 20, 2002 · 535 U.S. 625Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band

  6. United States v. Alphonso Vonn535 U.S. 55Mar 4, 2002 · 535 U.S. 55Criminal procedure8–18–1 band
  7. United States v. Abel Martinez-Salazar528 U.S. 304Jan 19, 2000 · 528 U.S. 304Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  8. Manuel Dejesus Peguero v. United States526 U.S. 23Mar 2, 1999 · 526 U.S. 23Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  9. United States v. Robert E. Hyde520 U.S. 670May 27, 1997 · 520 U.S. 670Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  10. Joyce B. Johnson v. United States520 U.S. 461May 12, 1997 · 520 U.S. 461Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  11. Charles Carlisle v. United States517 U.S. 416Apr 29, 1996 · 517 U.S. 416Criminal procedure7–27–2 band
  12. Joseph Libretti v. United States516 U.S. 29Nov 7, 1995 · 516 U.S. 29Criminal procedure8–18–1 band
  13. United States v. Gary Mezzanatto513 U.S. 196Jan 18, 1995 · 513 U.S. 196Criminal procedure7–27–2 band
  14. Matthew Wayne Tome v. United States513 U.S. 150Jan 10, 1995 · 513 U.S. 150Criminal procedure5–45–4 band

  15. Fredel Williamson v. United States512 U.S. 594Jun 27, 1994 · 512 U.S. 594Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  16. United States v. Guy W. Olano, Jr., and Raymond M. Gray507 U.S. 725Apr 26, 1993 · 507 U.S. 725Criminal procedure6–36–3 band

  17. Gloria Zafiro, Jose Martinez, Salvador Garcia and Alfonso Soto v. United States506 U.S. 534Jan 25, 1993 · 506 U.S. 534Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band

  18. Michael Crosby v. United States506 U.S. 255Jan 13, 1993 · 506 U.S. 255Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  19. William J. Burns v. United States501 U.S. 129Jun 13, 1991 · 501 U.S. 129Criminal procedure5–45–4 band

  20. Huddleston v. United States485 U.S. 681May 2, 1988 · 485 U.S. 681Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band

  21. Bourjaily v. United States483 U.S. 171Jun 23, 1987 · 483 U.S. 171Criminal procedure6–36–3 band
  22. Tanner et al. v. United States483 U.S. 107Jun 22, 1987 · 483 U.S. 107Criminal procedure5–45–4 band

  23. United States v. John Doe, Inc. I, et al.481 U.S. 102Apr 21, 1987 · 481 U.S. 102Criminal procedure5–36–3 band
  24. United States v. Mechanik et al.475 U.S. 66Feb 25, 1986 · 475 U.S. 66Criminal procedure8–18–1 band
  25. United States v. Lane et al.474 U.S. 438Jan 27, 1986 · 474 U.S. 438Criminal procedure5–45–4 band

  26. United States v. Abel469 U.S. 45Dec 10, 1984 · 469 U.S. 45Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  27. Luce v. United States469 U.S. 38Dec 10, 1984 · 469 U.S. 38Criminal procedure8–0Unanimous band
  28. United States v. Baggot463 U.S. 476Jun 30, 1983 · 463 U.S. 476Criminal procedure8–18–1 band
  29. United States v. Sells Engineering, Inc., et al.463 U.S. 418Jun 30, 1983 · 463 U.S. 418Criminal procedure5–45–4 band
  30. United States v. Timmreck441 U.S. 780May 21, 1979 · 441 U.S. 780Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  31. Davis v. United States411 U.S. 233Apr 17, 1973 · 411 U.S. 233Criminal procedure6–36–3 band

  32. Gregg v. United States394 U.S. 489Apr 2, 1969 · 394 U.S. 489Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  33. Collier v. United States384 U.S. 59Apr 19, 1966 · 384 U.S. 59Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  34. Jaben v. United States381 U.S. 214May 17, 1965 · 381 U.S. 214Criminal procedure6–36–3 band
  35. Berman v. United States378 U.S. 530Jun 22, 1964 · 378 U.S. 530Criminal procedure5–45–4 band
  36. Fallen v. United States378 U.S. 139Jun 22, 1964 · 378 U.S. 139Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  37. Corey v. United States375 U.S. 169Dec 9, 1963 · 375 U.S. 169Criminal procedure8–18–1 band
  38. United States v. Behrens375 U.S. 162Dec 9, 1963 · 375 U.S. 162Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  39. Andrews v. United States373 U.S. 334May 20, 1963 · 373 U.S. 334Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  40. Dibella v. United States369 U.S. 121Mar 19, 1962 · 369 U.S. 121Criminal procedure8–0Unanimous band
  41. Hill v. United States368 U.S. 424Jan 22, 1962 · 368 U.S. 424Criminal procedure5–45–4 band
  42. Lott et al. v. United States367 U.S. 421Jun 12, 1961 · 367 U.S. 421Criminal procedure5–45–4 band
  43. Green v. United States365 U.S. 301Feb 27, 1961 · 365 U.S. 301Criminal procedure5–45–4 band
  44. Schaffer et al. v. United States362 U.S. 511May 16, 1960 · 362 U.S. 511Criminal procedure5–45–4 band
  45. United States v. Robinson et al.361 U.S. 220Jan 11, 1960 · 361 U.S. 220Criminal procedure7–27–2 band

  46. Smith v. United States360 U.S. 1Jun 8, 1959 · 360 U.S. 1Criminal procedure6–36–3 band
  47. Hawkins v. United States358 U.S. 74Nov 24, 1958 · 358 U.S. 74Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  48. Mallory v. United States354 U.S. 449Jun 24, 1957 · 354 U.S. 449Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
  49. Rea v. United States350 U.S. 214Jan 16, 1956 · 350 U.S. 214Criminal procedure5–45–4 band
  50. Sullivan v. United States348 U.S. 170Dec 6, 1954 · 348 U.S. 170Criminal procedure8–0Unanimous band
  51. United States v. Debrow346 U.S. 374Nov 16, 1953 · 346 U.S. 374Criminal procedure8–0Unanimous band
  52. Schwartz v. Texas344 U.S. 199Dec 15, 1952 · 344 U.S. 199Criminal procedure8–18–1 band
  53. Stack et al. v. Boyle, United States Marshal342 U.S. 1Nov 5, 1951 · 342 U.S. 1Criminal procedure6–27–2 band
  54. Bryan v. United States338 U.S. 552Jan 16, 1950 · 338 U.S. 552Criminal procedure8–0Unanimous band
  55. United States v. Smith, U.S. District Judge, et al.331 U.S. 469Jun 2, 1947 · 331 U.S. 469Criminal procedure9–0Unanimous band
Data notes

Every other orally argued case with a clear vote, from the 1946 term on, that the Supreme Court Database files under the same issue as this one. The database gives each case one issue from a list of about 270 (abortion, search and seizure of vehicles, the death penalty, and so on), whatever law it turned on.

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Official record

Read the full opinion on Justia and the argument audio on Oyez. Case data from the Supreme Court Database, Version 2026 Release 01, through the 2025 term.