United States v. Kokinda

497 U.S. 720 · Decided June 27, 1990 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

United States v. Kokinda was decided on June 27, 1990 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area.

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

United States v. Kokinda et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1989-138, docket 1989-138-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”

• Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois
  497 U.S. 62Decided June 21, 19905–4William J. Brennan Jr.
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  494 U.S. 624Decided March 21, 19909–0William H. Rehnquist
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  493 U.S. 215Decided January 10, 19906–3Sandra Day O'Connor
• University of Pennsylvania v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)

• Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co.
  497 U.S. 1Decided June 21, 19907–2William H. Rehnquist
• Gary E. Peel v. Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of IllinoisLaw held unconstitutional
  496 U.S. 91Decided June 4, 19905–4John Paul Stevens
• Osborne v. Ohio
  495 U.S. 103Decided April 18, 19906–3Byron R. White
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  494 U.S. 652Decided March 27, 19906–3Thurgood Marshall
• James P. Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association
  500 U.S. 507Decided May 30, 19915–4Harry A. Blackmun
• Jeffrey M. Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, Inc.
  501 U.S. 496Decided June 20, 19917–2Anthony M. Kennedy

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• University of Pennsylvania v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  493 U.S. 182Decided January 9, 19909–0Harry A. Blackmun
• Fw/pbs, Inc. v. City of DallasLaw held unconstitutional
  493 U.S. 215Decided January 10, 19906–3Sandra Day O'Connor
• Jimmy Swaggart Ministries v. Board of Equalization of California
  493 U.S. 378Decided January 17, 19909–0Sandra Day O'Connor
• Federal Trade Commission v. Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association
  493 U.S. 411Decided January 22, 19906–3John Paul Stevens
• Butterworth v. SmithLaw held unconstitutional
  494 U.S. 624Decided March 21, 19909–0William H. Rehnquist
• Austin v. Michigan State Chamber of Commerce
  494 U.S. 652Decided March 27, 19906–3Thurgood Marshall

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