Greer v. Spock
424 U.S. 828 · Decided March 24, 1976 · 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
Greer v. Spock was decided on March 24, 1976 by a vote of 6–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 424 U.S. 828 · 96 S. Ct. 1211 · 47 L. Ed. 2d 505 · 1976 U.S. LEXIS 12
- Docket number
- 74-848
- Decided
- March 24, 1976
- Argued
- November 5, 1975
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Did not participate: John Paul Stevens.
Full case caption
Greer, Commander, Fort Dix Military Reservation, et al. v. Spock et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1975-060, docket 1975-060-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”
- Kelley v. Johnson
- Hudgens v. National Labor Relations BoardAltered precedent
- Hynes v. Mayor and Council of Borough of OradellLaw held unconstitutional
- Elrod v. Burns
- Nebraska Press Assn. v. Stuart
- City of Madison Joint School District No. 8 v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- McKinney v. AlabamaLaw held unconstitutional
- Time, Inc. v. Firestone
- Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Inc.Altered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Young v. American Mini Theatres, Inc.
- Erznoznik v. City of JacksonvilleLaw held unconstitutional
- Bigelow v. VirginiaLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Buckley v. ValeoLaw held unconstitutional
- Time, Inc. v. Firestone
- Hudgens v. National Labor Relations BoardAltered precedent
- McKinney v. AlabamaLaw held unconstitutional
- Kelley v. Johnson
- Hynes v. Mayor and Council of Borough of OradellLaw 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