Michael Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc.
501 U.S. 560 · Decided June 21, 1991 · 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
Michael Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc. was decided on June 21, 1991 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 501 U.S. 560 · 111 S. Ct. 2456 · 115 L. Ed. 2d 504 · 1991 U.S. LEXIS 3633
- Docket number
- 90-26
- Decided
- June 21, 1991
- Argued
- January 8, 1991
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- 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 Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Michael Barnes, Prosecuting Attorney of St. Joseph County, Indiana, et al. v. Glen Theatre, Inc., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1990-117, docket 1990-117-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- Osborne v. Ohio
- Massachusetts v. Oakes
- Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana
- Pope v. Illinois
- City of Newport v. Iacobucci
- New York v. P.J. Video, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Jeffrey M. Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, Inc.
- Cohen v. Cowles Media Co.
- Dominic P. Gentile v. State Bar of NevadaLaw held unconstitutional
- James P. Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association
- Leathers v. Medlock
- Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of the New York State Crime Victims BoardLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Leathers v. Medlock
- Jeffrey M. Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, Inc.
- Cohen v. Cowles Media Co.
- Dominic P. Gentile v. State Bar of NevadaLaw 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