Rosenbloom v. Metromedia, Inc.
403 U.S. 29 · Decided June 7, 1971 · 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
Rosenbloom v. Metromedia, Inc. was decided on June 7, 1971 by a vote of 5–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Libel and defamation” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 403 U.S. 29 · 91 S. Ct. 1811 · 29 L. Ed. 2d 296 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 124
- Docket number
- 66
- Decided
- June 7, 1971
- Argued
- December 7, 1970
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Libel and defamation
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority |
Did not participate: William O. Douglas.
Full case caption
Rosenbloom v. Metromedia, Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 1970-122, docket 1970-122-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Libel and defamation”
- Monitor Patriot Co. v. Roy
- Time, Inc. v. Pape
- Ocala Star-Banner Co. v. Damron
- Greenbelt Cooperative Publishing Assn., Inc. v. Bresler
- Pickering v. Board of Education of Township High School District 205
- Watts v. Seward School Board
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Cohen v. California
- Organization for a Better Austin v. Keefe
- New York Times Co. v. United States
- United States v. Reidel
- United States v. Thirty-Seven (37) Photographs (Luros
- Law Students Civil Rights Research Council, Inc. v. Wadmond
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Blount v. RizziLaw held unconstitutional
- Baird v. State Bar of Arizona
- In re Stolar
- Law Students Civil Rights Research Council, Inc. v. Wadmond
- United States v. Weller
- Monitor Patriot Co. v. Roy
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