Spence v. Washington
418 U.S. 405 · Decided June 25, 1974 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Spence v. Washington was decided on June 25, 1974 by a vote of 6–3. 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 “Protest demonstrations” 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
- 418 U.S. 405 · 94 S. Ct. 2727 · 41 L. Ed. 2d 842 · 1974 U.S. LEXIS 89
- Docket number
- 72-1690
- Decided
- June 25, 1974
- Argued
- January 9, 1974
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Opinion assigned by
- William O. Douglas
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Protest demonstrations
- 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 | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Spence v. Washington
SCDB identifiers: case 1973-163, docket 1973-163-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Protest demonstrations”
- Smith v. GoguenLaw held unconstitutional
- Lewis v. City of New OrleansLaw held unconstitutional
- Hess v. Indiana
- Norwell v. City of Cincinnati
- Police Department of the City of Chicago v. MosleyLaw held unconstitutional
- Grayned v. City of RockfordLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. TornilloLaw held unconstitutional
- Old Dominion Branch No. 496 v. Austin
- Lehman v. City of Shaker Heights
- Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.
- Pell v. Procunier
- Saxbe v. Washington Post Co.
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Plummer v. City of ColumbusLaw held unconstitutional
- 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
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