Meese v. Keene
481 U.S. 465 · Decided April 28, 1987 · 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
Meese v. Keene was decided on April 28, 1987 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens 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
- 481 U.S. 465 · 107 S. Ct. 1862 · 95 L. Ed. 2d 415 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 1930
- Docket number
- 85-1180
- Decided
- April 28, 1987
- Argued
- December 2, 1986
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- First Amendment, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- 22 U.S.C. § 611
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Did not participate: Antonin Scalia.
Full case caption
Meese, Attorney General of the United States, et al. v. Keene
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-087, docket 1986-087-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”
- Turner v. Safley
- Board of Airport Commissioners of the City of Los Angeles v. Jews for Jesus, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Rankin v. McPherson
- San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc. v. United States Olympic Committee
- Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
- Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser
Cases on the same legal provision: 22 U.S.C. § 611
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- City of Newport v. Iacobucci
- Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida
- Pope v. Illinois
- Turner v. Safley
- O'Lone v. Estate of Shabazz
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