United States v. Halper

United States v. Halper
Decided May 15, 1989
Full case nameUnited States v. Halper
Citations490 U.S. 435 (more)
Holding
A civil sanction is criminal punishment and can activate the Double Jeopardy Clause if it serves the traditional goals of punishment: retribution or deterrence.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
William J. Brennan Jr. · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
Case opinions
MajorityBlackmun, joined by unanimous
ConcurrenceKennedy
Laws applied
Double Jeopardy Clause
Superseded by
Hudson v. United States (1997)

United States v. Halper, 490 U.S. 435 (1989), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the court held that a civil sanction is criminal punishment and can activate the Double Jeopardy Clause if it serves the traditional goals of punishment: retribution or deterrence.