Monitor Patriot Co. v. Roy

401 U.S. 265 · Decided February 24, 1971 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Monitor Patriot Co. v. Roy was decided on February 24, 1971 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Libel and defamation” 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

Full case caption

Monitor Patriot Co. et al. v. Roy, Executrix

SCDB identifiers: case 1970-047, docket 1970-047-01.

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Other cases on “Libel and defamation”

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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)

• Law Students Civil Rights Research Council, Inc. v. Wadmond
  401 U.S. 154Decided February 23, 19715–4Potter Stewart
• United States v. Reidel
  402 U.S. 351Decided May 3, 19717–2Byron R. White
• United States v. Thirty-Seven (37) Photographs (Luros
  402 U.S. 363Decided May 3, 19716–3Byron R. White
• Organization for a Better Austin v. Keefe
  402 U.S. 415Decided May 17, 19718–1Warren E. Burger
• Cohen v. California
  403 U.S. 15Decided June 7, 19715–4John M. Harlan II
• New York Times Co. v. United States
  403 U.S. 713Decided June 30, 19716–3Per curiam

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Blount v. RizziLaw held unconstitutional
  400 U.S. 410Decided January 14, 19719–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Baird v. State Bar of Arizona
  401 U.S. 1Decided February 23, 19715–4Hugo L. Black
• In re Stolar
  401 U.S. 23Decided February 23, 19715–4Hugo L. Black
• Law Students Civil Rights Research Council, Inc. v. Wadmond
  401 U.S. 154Decided February 23, 19715–4Potter Stewart
• United States v. Weller
  401 U.S. 254Decided February 24, 19718–1Potter Stewart
• Time, Inc. v. Pape
  401 U.S. 279Decided February 24, 19718–1Potter Stewart

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