The Florida Star v. B. J. F.

491 U.S. 524 · Decided June 21, 1989 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

The Florida Star v. B. J. F. was decided on June 21, 1989 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Libel and privacy (false light)” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

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

The Florida Star v. B. J. F.

SCDB identifiers: case 1988-127, docket 1988-127-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Libel and privacy (false light)”

• Bartnicki v. VopperLaw held unconstitutional
  532 U.S. 514Decided May 21, 20016–3John Paul Stevens
• Nixon v. Administrator of General Services
  433 U.S. 425Decided June 28, 19777–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co.
  433 U.S. 562Decided June 28, 19775–4Byron R. White
• Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. CohnLaw held unconstitutional
  420 U.S. 469Decided March 3, 19758–1Byron R. White
• Cantrell v. Forest City Publishing Co.
  419 U.S. 245Decided December 18, 19748–1Potter Stewart
• Time, Inc. v. Hill
  385 U.S. 374Decided January 9, 19675–4William J. Brennan Jr.

See all

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

• Texas v. JohnsonLaw held unconstitutional
  491 U.S. 397Decided June 21, 19895–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Massachusetts v. Oakes
  491 U.S. 576Decided June 21, 19896–3Sandra Day O'Connor
• Ward v. Rock Against Racism
  491 U.S. 781Decided June 22, 19896–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• Board of Trustees of the State University of New York v. Fox
  492 U.S. 469Decided June 29, 19896–3Antonin Scalia
• Thornburgh v. AbbottAltered precedent
  490 U.S. 401Decided May 15, 19896–3Harry A. Blackmun
• Eu v. San Francisco County Democratic Central CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
  489 U.S. 214Decided February 22, 19898–0Thurgood Marshall

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Carlucci v. Doe
  488 U.S. 93Decided December 6, 19889–0Byron R. White
• Texas Monthly, Inc. v. BullockLaw held unconstitutional
  489 U.S. 1Decided February 21, 19896–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana
  489 U.S. 46Decided February 21, 19899–0Byron R. White
• Eu v. San Francisco County Democratic Central CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
  489 U.S. 214Decided February 22, 19898–0Thurgood Marshall
• Frazee v. Illinois Department of Employment Security
  489 U.S. 829Decided March 29, 19899–0Byron R. White
• City of Dallas v. Stanglin
  490 U.S. 19Decided April 3, 19899–0William H. Rehnquist

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