Ward v. Illinois

431 U.S. 767 · Decided June 9, 1977 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Ward v. Illinois was decided on June 9, 1977 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” 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

Ward v. Illinois

SCDB identifiers: case 1976-128, docket 1976-128-01.

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

• National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie
  432 U.S. 43Decided June 14, 19775–4Per curiam
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  433 U.S. 350Decided June 27, 19775–4Harry A. Blackmun
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  433 U.S. 562Decided June 28, 19775–4Byron R. White
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  431 U.S. 85Decided May 2, 19778–0Thurgood Marshall
• Oklahoma Publishing Co. v. District Court in and for Oklahoma County
  430 U.S. 308Decided March 7, 19779–0Per curiam
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  429 U.S. 167Decided December 8, 19769–0Warren E. Burger

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Parker Seal Co. v. Cummins
  429 U.S. 65Decided November 2, 19764–4
• City of Madison Joint School District No. 8 v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission
  429 U.S. 167Decided December 8, 19769–0Warren E. Burger
• Mt. Healthy City School District Board of Education v. Doyle
  429 U.S. 274Decided January 11, 19779–0William H. Rehnquist
• Marks v. United States
  430 U.S. 188Decided March 1, 19775–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Oklahoma Publishing Co. v. District Court in and for Oklahoma County
  430 U.S. 308Decided March 7, 19779–0Per curiam
• Wooley v. Maynard et Ux.Law held unconstitutional
  430 U.S. 705Decided April 20, 19776–3Warren E. Burger

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