Houchins v. Kqed, Inc.

438 U.S. 1 · Decided June 26, 1978 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Houchins v. Kqed, Inc. was decided on June 26, 1978 by a vote of 4–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall, Harry A. Blackmun.

Full case caption

Houchins, Sheriff of the County of Alameda, California v. Kqed, Inc., et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1977-138, docket 1977-138-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”

• Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation
  438 U.S. 726Decided July 3, 19785–4John Paul Stevens
• Landmark Communications, Inc. v. VirginiaLaw held unconstitutional
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• Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District
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  441 U.S. 463Decided April 30, 19797–1Per curiam
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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)

• Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Assn.
  436 U.S. 447Decided May 30, 19788–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Pinkus v. United States
  436 U.S. 293Decided May 23, 19788–1Warren E. Burger
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  435 U.S. 765Decided April 26, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Friedman v. Rogers
  440 U.S. 1Decided February 21, 19797–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Herbert v. Lando
  441 U.S. 153Decided April 18, 19796–3Byron R. White
• Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co.
  433 U.S. 562Decided June 28, 19775–4Byron R. White

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• New York v. Cathedral AcademyLaw held unconstitutional
  434 U.S. 125Decided December 6, 19776–3Potter Stewart
• McDaniel v. PatyLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 618Decided April 19, 19788–0Warren E. Burger
• First National Bank of Boston v. BellottiLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 765Decided April 26, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Landmark Communications, Inc. v. VirginiaLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 829Decided May 1, 19787–0Warren E. Burger
• Pinkus v. United States
  436 U.S. 293Decided May 23, 19788–1Warren E. Burger
• Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation
  438 U.S. 726Decided July 3, 19785–4John Paul Stevens

See all

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