Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc.

472 U.S. 491 · Decided June 19, 1985 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc. was decided on June 19, 1985 by a vote of 6–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..

Full case caption

Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc., et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1984-131, docket 1984-131-01.

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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)

• Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc.
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  470 U.S. 598Decided March 19, 19857–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
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Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Federal Election Commission v. National Conservative Political Action CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
  470 U.S. 480Decided March 18, 19857–2William H. Rehnquist
• Wayte v. United States
  470 U.S. 598Decided March 19, 19857–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Board of Education of Oklahoma City v. National Gay Task ForceLaw held unconstitutional
  470 U.S. 903Decided March 26, 19854–4
• Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale v. Kathleen S. McCreary
  471 U.S. 83Decided March 27, 19854–4
• Wallace v. JaffreeLaw held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 38Decided June 4, 19856–3John Paul Stevens
• Jensen v. QuaringLaw held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 478Decided June 17, 19854–4

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Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error