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Supreme Court · Decisions

Ralston, Warden v. Robinson

454 U.S. 201 · No. 80-2049 · 1981 term · Burger Court

Decided Dec 2, 1981 · argued Oct 5, 1981

Civil rights · Juveniles

Majority opinion: Thurgood Marshall

The voteMajorityDissent

6–36 in the majority, 3 in dissent

3 dissents (6–3)

Reversed and remanded. Ralston, Warden won.

What this ruling means

Reversed and remanded: the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit and sent the case back to that court for further proceedings that follow the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Ralston, Warden was the petitioner, the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the case. “Won” means the Court gave 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 1981 term. Filled: the 6 in the majority. Hollow: the 3 in dissent. Colour is the party of the president who appointed them.

More liberalMore conservativeMedianMarshallBrennanBlackmunStevensWhitePowellO'ConnorBurgerRehnquist

Majority(6)

Dissent(3)

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
Ralston, WardenUnited States
Respondent
RobinsonPrisoner, inmate of penal institution
Reached the Court by
Certiorari (the Court chose to hear it)
Why it was taken
Federal appeals courts had ruled differently on the question
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
18 U.S.C. § 5005
Kind of law
Infrequently litigated statutes
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. Dec 2, 1981DecidedDecided · Decided 6–3: reversed and remanded. Ralston, Warden won.
  2. Oct 5, 1981ArguedArgued · Oral argument before the Court.
  3. Not datedTaken upTaken up · The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case (certiorari). Federal appeals courts had ruled differently on the question.
  4. Not datedCourt belowCourt below · Decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit: affirmed.
  5. Not datedBeganBegan · The case began in the Illinois 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

25 other argued cases since 1946 on juveniles, newest first.

  1. Golan v. Saada142 S. Ct. 1880Jun 15, 2022 · 142 S. Ct. 1880Civil rights9–0Unanimous band
  2. Monasky v. Taglieri140 S. Ct. 719Feb 25, 2020 · 140 S. Ct. 719Civil rights9–0Unanimous band

  3. Lozano v. Montoya Alvarez572 U.S. 1Mar 5, 2014 · 572 U.S. 1Civil rights9–0Unanimous band

  4. Jeffrey Lee Chafin, Petitioner v. Lynne Hales Chafin568 U.S. 165Feb 19, 2013 · 568 U.S. 165Civil rights9–0Unanimous band

  5. Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, Petitioner v. Karen K. Capato, on Behalf of B. N. C., et al.566 U.S. 541May 21, 2012 · 566 U.S. 541Civil rights9–0Unanimous band

  6. Timothy Mark Cameron Abbott v. Jacquelyn Vaye Abbott560 U.S. 1May 17, 2010 · 560 U.S. 1Civil rights6–36–3 band

  7. Jacob Winkelman, a Minor, by and Through His Parents and Legal Guardians, Jeff and Sandee Winkelman, et al. v. Parma City School District550 U.S. 516May 21, 2007 · 550 U.S. 516Civil rights7–27–2 band

  8. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, et al. v. Guardianship Estate of Danny Keffeler et al.537 U.S. 371Feb 25, 2003 · 537 U.S. 371Civil rights9–0Unanimous band
  9. Carol Ankenbrandt, As Next Friend and Mother of L. R. and S. R. v. Jon A. Richards and Debra Kesler504 U.S. 689Jun 15, 1992 · 504 U.S. 689Civil rights9–0Unanimous band

  10. United States v. R. L. C.503 U.S. 291Mar 24, 1992 · 503 U.S. 291Civil rights7–27–2 band
  11. Deshaney, a Minor, by His Guardian Ad Litem, et al. v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services et al.489 U.S. 189Feb 22, 1989 · 489 U.S. 189Civil rights6–36–3 band

  12. Schall, Commissioner of New York City Department of Juvenile Justice v. Martin et al.467 U.S. 253Jun 4, 1984 · 467 U.S. 253Civil rights6–36–3 band
  13. Tuten v. United States460 U.S. 660Mar 30, 1983 · 460 U.S. 660Civil rights9–0Unanimous band
  14. Santosky et al. v. Kramer, Commissioner, Ulster County Department of Social Services, et al.455 U.S. 745Mar 24, 1982 · 455 U.S. 745Civil rights5–45–4 band

  15. Secretary of Public Welfare of Pennsylvania et al. v. Institutionalized Juveniles et al.442 U.S. 640Jun 20, 1979 · 442 U.S. 640Civil rights6–36–3 band
  16. Parham, Commissioner, Department of Human Resources of Georgia, et al. v. J.R. et al.442 U.S. 584Jun 20, 1979 · 442 U.S. 584Civil rights6–36–3 band

  17. Swisher, State's Attorney for Baltimore City, et al. v. Brady et al.438 U.S. 204Jun 26, 1978 · 438 U.S. 204Civil rights6–36–3 band
  18. Durst et al. v. United States434 U.S. 542Feb 22, 1978 · 434 U.S. 542Civil rights8–0Unanimous band
  19. Breed, Director, California Youth Authority v. Jones421 U.S. 519May 27, 1975 · 421 U.S. 519Civil rights9–0Unanimous band
  20. Dorszynski v. United States418 U.S. 424Jun 26, 1974 · 418 U.S. 424Civil rights9–0Unanimous band
  21. McKeiver et al. v. Pennsylvania403 U.S. 528Jun 21, 1971 · 403 U.S. 528Civil rights6–36–3 band

  22. In re Winship397 U.S. 358Mar 31, 1970 · 397 U.S. 358Civil rights5–36–3 band

  23. In re Whittington391 U.S. 341May 20, 1968 · 391 U.S. 341Civil rights7–27–2 band
  24. In re Gault et al.Landmark · Right to counsel387 U.S. 1May 15, 1967 · 387 U.S. 1Civil rights8–18–1 band

  25. Kent v. United States383 U.S. 541Mar 21, 1966 · 383 U.S. 541Civil rights5–45–4 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.