Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
393 U.S. 503 · Decided February 24, 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
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District was decided on February 24, 1969 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Abe Fortas 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
- 393 U.S. 503 · 89 S. Ct. 733 · 21 L. Ed. 2d 731 · 1969 U.S. LEXIS 2443
- Docket number
- 21
- Decided
- February 24, 1969
- Argued
- November 12, 1968
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Abe Fortas
- 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 | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Abe Fortas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority |
Full case caption
Tinker et al. v. Des Moines Independent Community School District et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1968-043, docket 1968-043-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Protest demonstrations”
- Gregory v. City of Chicago
- Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham
- Street v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. O'Brien
- Zwicker v. Boll
- Cameron v. Johnson
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Stanley v. GeorgiaLaw held unconstitutional
- Carroll v. President and Commissioners of Princess Anne
- Red Lion Broadcasting Co., Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission
- Brandenburg v. OhioAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Lee Art Theatre, Inc. v. Virginia
- Pickering v. Board of Education of Township High School District 205
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
- Gregory v. City of Chicago
- Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham
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