Ulysses Tory v. Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
544 U.S. 734 · Decided May 31, 2005 · 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
Ulysses Tory v. Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. was decided on May 31, 2005 by a vote of 7–2. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Libel and defamation” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 544 U.S. 734 · 125 S. Ct. 2108 · 161 L. Ed. 2d 1042 · 2005 U.S. LEXIS 4347
- Docket number
- 03-1488
- Decided
- May 31, 2005
- Argued
- March 22, 2005
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Stephen G. Breyer
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Ulysses Tory, et al. v. Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
SCDB identifiers: case 2004-053, docket 2004-053-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Libel and defamation”
- Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp. v. Hoeper
- Jeffrey M. Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, Inc.
- Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co.
- Harte-Hanks Communications, Inc. v. Connaughton
- Hustler Magazine and Larry C. Flynt v. Jerry Falwell
- Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Mike Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association
- Michael Clingman v. Andrea L. Beaver
- City of San Diego v. John Roe
- Michael Hartman v. William G. Moore, Jr.
- John D. Ashcroft v. American Civil Liberties Union
- City of Littleton v. Z. J. Gifts D-4, L. L. C.
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- City of San Diego v. John Roe
- Mike Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association
- Michael Clingman v. Andrea L. Beaver
- Jon B. Cutter v. Reginald Wilkinson
- Thomas Van Orden v. Rick Perry
- McCreary County v. American Civil Liberties Union of KentuckyLaw 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