Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court of California for the County of Riverside

478 U.S. 1 · Decided June 30, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court of California for the County of Riverside was decided on June 30, 1986 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” 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

Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court of California for the County of Riverside

SCDB identifiers: case 1985-141, docket 1985-141-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”

• Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser
  478 U.S. 675Decided July 7, 19867–2Warren E. Burger
• Arcara v. Cloud Books, Inc.
  478 U.S. 697Decided July 7, 19866–3Warren E. Burger
• City of Los Angeles v. Preferred Communications, Inc.
  476 U.S. 488Decided June 2, 19869–0William H. Rehnquist
• Meese v. Keene
  481 U.S. 465Decided April 28, 19875–3John Paul Stevens
• Turner v. Safley
  482 U.S. 78Decided June 1, 19875–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Board of Airport Commissioners of the City of Los Angeles v. Jews for Jesus, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  482 U.S. 569Decided June 15, 19879–0Sandra Day O'Connor

See all

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

• New York v. P.J. Video, Inc.
  475 U.S. 868Decided April 22, 19866–3William H. Rehnquist
• Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. v. HeppsLaw held unconstitutional
  475 U.S. 767Decided April 21, 19865–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson
  475 U.S. 292Decided February 26, 19869–0John Paul Stevens
• Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. Public Utilities Commission of CaliforniaLaw held unconstitutional
  475 U.S. 1Decided February 25, 19865–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc.
  475 U.S. 41Decided February 25, 19867–2William H. Rehnquist
• Arkansas Writers' Project, Inc. v. RaglandLaw held unconstitutional
  481 U.S. 221Decided April 22, 19877–2Thurgood Marshall

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Witters v. Washington Department of Services for the Blind
  474 U.S. 481Decided January 27, 19869–0Thurgood Marshall
• Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. Public Utilities Commission of CaliforniaLaw held unconstitutional
  475 U.S. 1Decided February 25, 19865–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc.
  475 U.S. 41Decided February 25, 19867–2William H. Rehnquist
• Goldman v. Weinberger
  475 U.S. 503Decided March 25, 19865–4William H. Rehnquist
• Bender v. Williamsport Area School District
  475 U.S. 534Decided March 25, 19865–4John Paul Stevens
• Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. v. HeppsLaw held unconstitutional
  475 U.S. 767Decided April 21, 19865–4Sandra Day O'Connor

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