City of Houston v. Hill
482 U.S. 451 · Decided June 15, 1987 · 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 Houston v. Hill was decided on June 15, 1987 by a vote of 8–1. 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 municipal or other local ordinance unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 482 U.S. 451 · 107 S. Ct. 2502 · 96 L. Ed. 2d 398 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 2617
- Docket number
- 86-243
- Decided
- June 15, 1987
- Argued
- March 23, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Protest demonstrations
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A municipal or other local ordinance
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
City of Houston, Texas v. Hill
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-125, docket 1986-125-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Protest demonstrations”
- Michael Boos, J. Michael Waller and Bridget Brooker v. Marion S. Barry, Jr.Law held unconstitutional
- United States v. Albertini
- Texas v. JohnsonLaw held unconstitutional
- Federal Trade Commission v. Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association
- Clark v. Community for Creative Non-Violence
- United States v. Shawn D. EichmanLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Board of Airport Commissioners of the City of Los Angeles v. Jews for Jesus, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Rankin v. McPherson
- Turner v. Safley
- Pope v. Illinois
- Arkansas Writers' Project, Inc. v. RaglandLaw held unconstitutional
- Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- City of Newport v. Iacobucci
- Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida
- Meese v. Keene
- Pope v. Illinois
- Turner v. Safley
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