Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham
394 U.S. 147 · Decided March 10, 1969 · 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
Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham was decided on March 10, 1969 unanimously (8–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Potter Stewart wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Protest demonstrations” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 394 U.S. 147 · 89 S. Ct. 935 · 22 L. Ed. 2d 162 · 1969 U.S. LEXIS 2296
- Docket number
- 42
- Decided
- March 10, 1969
- Argued
- November 18, 1968
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Protest demonstrations
- 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 | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Abe Fortas | Majority |
Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall.
Full case caption
Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham
SCDB identifiers: case 1968-054, docket 1968-054-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Protest demonstrations”
- Gregory v. City of Chicago
- Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
- Street v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. O'Brien
- Zwicker v. Boll
- Cowgill v. California
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Stanley v. GeorgiaLaw held unconstitutional
- Red Lion Broadcasting Co., Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission
- Brandenburg v. OhioAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Carroll v. President and Commissioners of Princess Anne
- Lee Art Theatre, Inc. v. Virginia
- Carlos v. New York
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Epperson v. ArkansasLaw held unconstitutional
- Carroll v. President and Commissioners of Princess Anne
- Clark v. Gabriel
- Presbyterian Church in the United States v. Mary Elizabeth Blue Hull Memorial Presbyterian Church
- Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
- Gregory v. City of Chicago
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