Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton
145 S. Ct. 2291 · Decided June 27, 2025 · 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
Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton was decided on June 27, 2025 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
- CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
- Supreme Court of the United States — slip opinions, October Term 2024
- Supreme Court of the United States — docket 23-1122
Case details
- Citations
- 145 S. Ct. 2291 · 222 L. Ed. 2d 643 · 2025 U.S. LEXIS 2497
- Docket number
- 23-1122
- Decided
- June 27, 2025
- Argued
- January 15, 2025
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Clarence Thomas
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Dissent | |
| Justice Elena Kagan | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Neil M. Gorsuch | Majority | |
| Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh | Majority | |
| Justice Amy Coney Barrett | Majority | |
| Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson | Dissent |
Full case caption
Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton
SCDB identifiers: case 2024-029, docket 2024-029-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- City of Littleton v. Z. J. Gifts D-4, L. L. C.
- City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books, Inc.
- City of Erie v. Pap's A. M.
- Michael Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc.
- Osborne v. Ohio
- Massachusetts v. Oakes
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Tiktok, Inc. v. Garland
- Olivier v. City of Brandon
- Chiles v. SalazarLaw held unconstitutional
- Moody v. Netchoice, LLC
- National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election CommissionAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Gonzalez v. Trevino
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Tiktok, Inc. v. Garland
- Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission
- Mahmoud v. Taylor
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