City of Erie v. Pap's A. M.
529 U.S. 277 · Decided March 29, 2000 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
City of Erie v. Pap's A. M. was decided on March 29, 2000 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 529 U.S. 277 · 120 S. Ct. 1382 · 146 L. Ed. 2d 265 · 2000 U.S. LEXIS 2347
- Docket number
- 98-1161
- Decided
- March 29, 2000
- Argued
- November 10, 1999
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Obscenity, state
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority |
Full case caption
City of Erie, et al. v. Pap's A. M., Tdba 'kandyland'
SCDB identifiers: case 1999-044, docket 1999-044-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books, Inc.
- City of Littleton v. Z. J. Gifts D-4, L. L. C.
- Michael Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc.
- Osborne v. Ohio
- Massachusetts v. Oakes
- Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System v. Scott Harold Southworth
- Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government Pac
- Boy Scouts of America and Monmouth Council v. James DaleLaw held unconstitutional
- Leila Jeanne Hill v. Colorado
- Los Angeles Police Department v. United Reporting Publishing Corporation
- Greater New Orleans Broadcasting Association, Inc., Etc. v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Los Angeles Police Department v. United Reporting Publishing Corporation
- Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government Pac
- Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System v. Scott Harold Southworth
- United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Santa Fe Independent School District v. Jane Doe
- Guy Mitchell v. Mary L. HelmsAltered precedent
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