City of San Diego v. John Roe
543 U.S. 77 · Decided December 6, 2004 · 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 San Diego v. John Roe was decided on December 6, 2004 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 543 U.S. 77 · 125 S. Ct. 521 · 160 L. Ed. 2d 410 · 2004 U.S. LEXIS 8165
- Docket number
- 03-1669
- Decided
- December 6, 2004
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- First Amendment, miscellaneous
- 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 | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority |
Full case caption
City of San Diego, California et al. v. John Roe
SCDB identifiers: case 2004-005, docket 2004-005-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”
- Michael Clingman v. Andrea L. Beaver
- Donald H. Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, Inc.
- Michael Hartman v. William G. Moore, Jr.
- Virginia v. Kevin Lamont Hicks
- William Overton v. Michelle Bazzetta
- Gil Garcetti v. Richard Ceballos
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- John D. Ashcroft v. American Civil Liberties Union
- Mike Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association
- Ulysses Tory v. Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
- City of Littleton v. Z. J. Gifts D-4, L. L. C.
- Mitch McConnell v. Federal Election CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. American Library Association, Inc.
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Mike Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association
- Michael Clingman v. Andrea L. Beaver
- Jon B. Cutter v. Reginald Wilkinson
- Ulysses Tory v. Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
- Thomas Van Orden v. Rick Perry
- McCreary County v. American Civil Liberties Union of KentuckyLaw 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