Ginsberg v. New York
390 U.S. 629 · Decided April 22, 1968 · 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
Ginsberg v. New York was decided on April 22, 1968 by a vote of 6–3. 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 “Obscenity, state” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 390 U.S. 629 · 88 S. Ct. 1274 · 20 L. Ed. 2d 195 · 1968 U.S. LEXIS 1880
- Docket number
- 47
- Decided
- April 22, 1968
- Argued
- January 16, 1968
- Court era
- Warren 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
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- 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 Hugo L. Black | Dissent | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Abe Fortas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority |
Full case caption
Ginsberg v. New York
SCDB identifiers: case 1967-106, docket 1967-106-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- Interstate Circuit, Inc. v. City of DallasLaw held unconstitutional
- Interstate Circuit, Inc. v. City of Dallas
- Rabeck v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Felton v. City of Pensacola
- Lee Art Theatre, Inc. v. Virginia
- Henry v. Louisiana
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Cameron v. Johnson
- St. Amant v. Thompson
- Amalgamated Food Employees Union Local 590 v. Logan Valley Plaza, Inc.
- Pickering v. Board of Education of Township High School District 205
- Teitel Film Corp. v. CusackLaw held unconstitutional
- United Mine Workers of America v. Illinois State Bar Association
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Associated Press v. Walker
- Potomac News Co. v. United States
- Conner v. City of Hammond
- Central Magazine Sales, Ltd. v. United States
- Beckley Newspapers Corp. v. Hanks
- Chance v. California
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