New York State Liquor Authority v. Bellanca
452 U.S. 714 · Decided June 22, 1981 · 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
New York State Liquor Authority v. Bellanca was decided on June 22, 1981 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 452 U.S. 714 · 101 S. Ct. 2599 · 69 L. Ed. 2d 357 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 119
- Docket number
- 80-813
- Decided
- June 22, 1981
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Obscenity, state
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- Twenty-First Amendment
- 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. | Jurisdictional dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
New York State Liquor Authority v. Bellanca, Dba the Main Event, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-131, docket 1980-131-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- Schad v. Borough of Mount EphraimLaw held unconstitutional
- Flynt v. Ohio
- California ex Rel. Cooper v. Mitchell Brothers' Santa Ana Theater
- New York v. Ferber
- Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Twenty-First Amendment
- United States v. Tax Commission of MississippiLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. State Tax Commission of Mississippi
- North Dakota v. United States
- California v. Washington
- Gordon v. Texas.
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Stone v. GrahamLaw held unconstitutional
- Democratic Party of United States v. Wisconsin ex Rel. La FolletteLaw held unconstitutional
- Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security DivisionLaw held unconstitutional
- Flynt v. Ohio
- Schad v. Borough of Mount EphraimLaw held unconstitutional
- Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc.
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