Plummer v. City of Columbus
414 U.S. 2 · Decided October 15, 1973 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Plummer v. City of Columbus was decided on October 15, 1973 by a vote of 5–4. 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 “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 414 U.S. 2 · 94 S. Ct. 17 · 38 L. Ed. 2d 3 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 164
- Docket number
- 72-6897
- Decided
- October 15, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Opinion assigned by
- William O. Douglas
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- First Amendment, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent |
Full case caption
Plummer v. City of Columbus
SCDB identifiers: case 1973-002, docket 1973-002-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”
- United States Civil Service Commission v. National Association of Letter Carriers
- Broadrick v. Oklahoma
- Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Democratic National Committee
- Procunier v. MartinezLaw held unconstitutional
- Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri
- Pell v. Procunier
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Norwell v. City of Cincinnati
- Hess v. Indiana
- Communist Party of Indiana v. WhitcombLaw held unconstitutional
- Heller v. New York
- Alexander v. Virginia
- Miller v. CaliforniaAltered precedent
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Norwell v. City of Cincinnati
- Musser v. United States
- Hess v. Indiana
- Communist Party of Indiana v. WhitcombLaw held unconstitutional
- Lewis v. City of New OrleansLaw held unconstitutional
- Smith v. GoguenLaw 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