Carey v. Brown

447 U.S. 455 · Decided June 20, 1980 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Carey v. Brown was decided on June 20, 1980 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Protest demonstrations” 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

Full case caption

Carey, State's Attorney of Cook County v. Brown et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1979-124, docket 1979-124-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Protest demonstrations”

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Claiborne Hardware Co.
  458 U.S. 886Decided July 2, 19828–0John Paul Stevens
• Clark v. Community for Creative Non-Violence
  468 U.S. 288Decided June 29, 19847–2Byron R. White
• United States v. Albertini
  472 U.S. 675Decided June 24, 19856–3Sandra Day O'Connor
• Spence v. WashingtonLaw held unconstitutional
  418 U.S. 405Decided June 25, 19746–3Per curiam
• Smith v. GoguenLaw held unconstitutional
  415 U.S. 566Decided March 25, 19746–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Lewis v. City of New OrleansLaw held unconstitutional
  415 U.S. 130Decided February 20, 19746–3William J. Brennan Jr.

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)

• Williams v. Zbaraz
  448 U.S. 358Decided June 30, 19805–4Potter Stewart
• Wengler v. Druggists Mutual Insurance Co.Law held unconstitutional
  446 U.S. 142Decided April 22, 19808–1Byron R. White
• Minnesota v. Clover Leaf Creamery Co.
  449 U.S. 456Decided January 21, 19817–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Kirchberg v. FeenstraLaw held unconstitutional
  450 U.S. 455Decided March 23, 19819–0Thurgood Marshall
• Michael M. v. Superior Court of Sonoma County (California
  450 U.S. 464Decided March 23, 19815–4William H. Rehnquist
• Ball v. James
  451 U.S. 355Decided April 29, 19815–4Potter Stewart

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Brown v. Glines
  444 U.S. 348Decided January 21, 19805–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Secretary of the Navy v. Huff
  444 U.S. 453Decided January 21, 19805–3Per curiam
• Snepp v. United States
  444 U.S. 507Decided February 19, 19806–3Per curiam
• Village of Schaumburg v. Citizens for a Better EnvironmentLaw held unconstitutional
  444 U.S. 620Decided February 20, 19808–1Byron R. White
• Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty v. Regan
  444 U.S. 646Decided February 20, 19805–4Byron R. White
• Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  445 U.S. 308Decided March 18, 19805–4Per curiam

See all

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