Vasquez v. Hillery

Vasquez v. Hillery
Argued October 15, 1985
Decided January 14, 1986
Full case nameDaniel Vasquez, Warden, v. Booker T. Hillery, Jr.
Citations474 U.S. 254 (more)
106 S. Ct. 617; 88 L. Ed. 2d 598
Case history
PriorWrit of habeas corpus granted, Hillery v. Pulley, 563 F. Supp. 1228 (E.D. Cal. 1983); affirmed, 733 F.2d 644 (9th Cir. 1984); cert. granted, 470 U.S. 1026 (1985).
Holding
A defendant's conviction must be reversed if members of his own race were systematically excluded from the grand jury that indicted him, even if he was convicted following an otherwise fair trial.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
Associate Justices
William J. Brennan Jr. · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
Lewis F. Powell Jr. · William Rehnquist
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Case opinions
MajorityMarshall, joined by Brennan, Blackmun, Stevens; White (all but the sixth paragraph of Part III)
ConcurrenceO'Connor (in judgment)
DissentPowell, joined by Burger, Rehnquist
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. XIV;

Vasquez v. Hillery, 474 U.S. 254 (1986), is a United States Supreme Court case, which held that a defendant's conviction must be reversed if members of their race were systematically excluded from the grand jury that indicted them, even if they were convicted following an otherwise fair trial.