Chapman v. California

Chapman v. California
Argued December 7–8, 1966
Decided February 20, 1967
Full case nameRuth Elizabeth Chapman and Thomas Leroy Teale v. California
Docket no.95
Citations386 U.S. 18 (more)
17 L. Ed. 2d 705, 87 S. Ct. 824
ArgumentOral argument
Case history
PriorConviction (1963), affirmed, People v. Teale, 63 Cal. 2d 178 (1965)
Holding
1) Violations of federally-protected rights must be governed by a federal harmless-error rule, not state rules, and 2) such errors are not harmless unless the state proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the error complained of did not contribute to the verdict obtained.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Earl Warren
Associate Justices
Hugo Black · William O. Douglas
Tom C. Clark · John M. Harlan II
William J. Brennan Jr. · Potter Stewart
Byron White · Abe Fortas
Case opinions
MajorityBlack, joined by Warren, Douglas, Clark, Brennan, White, and Fortas
ConcurrenceStewart
DissentHarlan
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amends. V, XIV

Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18 (1967),[1] was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that a federal "harmless error" rule must apply, instead of equivalent state rules, for reviewing trials where federally-protected rights had been violated.

  1. ^ Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18 (1967)