Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc.
445 U.S. 308 · Decided March 18, 1980 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc. was decided on March 18, 1980 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” 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
- 445 U.S. 308 · 100 S. Ct. 1156 · 63 L. Ed. 2d 413 · 1980 U.S. LEXIS 91
- Docket number
- 78-1588
- Decided
- March 18, 1980
- Argued
- November 28, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Obscenity, state
- 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 J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Vance et al. v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1979-056, docket 1979-056-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- Flynt v. Ohio
- Schad v. Borough of Mount EphraimLaw held unconstitutional
- New York State Liquor Authority v. Bellanca
- California ex Rel. Cooper v. Mitchell Brothers' Santa Ana Theater
- New York v. Ferber
- Ward v. Illinois
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Branti v. Finkel
- Village of Schaumburg v. Citizens for a Better EnvironmentLaw held unconstitutional
- Brown v. Glines
- Secretary of the Navy v. Huff
- Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. v. Public Service Commission of New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission of New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Brown v. Glines
- Secretary of the Navy v. Huff
- Snepp v. United States
- Village of Schaumburg v. Citizens for a Better EnvironmentLaw held unconstitutional
- Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty v. Regan
- Branti v. Finkel
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