Brown v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign Committee
459 U.S. 87 · Decided December 8, 1982 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Brown v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign Committee was decided on December 8, 1982 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Campaign spending” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 459 U.S. 87 · 103 S. Ct. 416 · 74 L. Ed. 2d 250 · 1982 U.S. LEXIS 169
- Docket number
- 81-776
- Decided
- December 8, 1982
- Argued
- October 4, 1982
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Campaign spending
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Brown et al. v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign Committee (Ohio) et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1982-009, docket 1982-009-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Campaign spending”
- Federal Election Commission v. National Right to Work Committee
- Bread Political Action Committee v. Federal Election Commission
- Citizens Against Rent Control/coalition for Fair Housing v. City of BerkeleyLaw held unconstitutional
- Federal Election Commission v. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- California Medical Association v. Federal Election Commission
- Federal Election Commission v. National Conservative Political Action CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Perry Education Association v. Perry Local Educators' Association
- Minneapolis Star & Tribune Co. v. Minnesota Commissioner of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
- Connick v. Myers
- United States v. GraceLaw held unconstitutional
- New York v. Ferber
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Claiborne Hardware Co.
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Larkin v. Grendel's Den, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Federal Election Commission v. National Right to Work Committee
- Perry Education Association v. Perry Local Educators' Association
- Minneapolis Star & Tribune Co. v. Minnesota Commissioner of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
- Connick v. Myers
- United States v. GraceLaw held unconstitutional
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