City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books, Inc.
535 U.S. 425 · Decided May 13, 2002 · 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 Los Angeles v. Alameda Books, Inc. was decided on May 13, 2002 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 535 U.S. 425 · 122 S. Ct. 1728 · 152 L. Ed. 2d 670 · 2002 U.S. LEXIS 3424
- Docket number
- 00-799
- Decided
- May 13, 2002
- Argued
- December 4, 2001
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- 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 | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Dissent |
Full case caption
City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books, Inc., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2001-044, docket 2001-044-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- City of Littleton v. Z. J. Gifts D-4, L. L. C.
- City of Erie v. Pap's A. M.
- 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)
- Tommy G. Thompson v. Western States Medical CenterLaw held unconstitutional
- Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of StrattonLaw held unconstitutional
- Be & K Construction Company v. National Labor Relations Board
- Republican Party of Minnesota v. Suzanne White
- Caren Cronk Thomas and Windy City Hemp Development Board v. Chicago Park District
- Virginia v. Barry Elton BlackLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Caren Cronk Thomas and Windy City Hemp Development Board v. Chicago Park District
- John D. Ashcroft v. the Free Speech CoalitionLaw held unconstitutional
- Tommy G. Thompson v. Western States Medical CenterLaw held unconstitutional
- John Ashcroft v. American Civil Liberties Union
- Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of StrattonLaw held unconstitutional
- Susan Tave Zelman v. Doris Simmons-Harris
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