Young v. American Mini Theatres, Inc.
427 U.S. 50 · Decided June 24, 1976 · 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
Young v. American Mini Theatres, Inc. was decided on June 24, 1976 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 427 U.S. 50 · 96 S. Ct. 2440 · 49 L. Ed. 2d 310 · 1976 U.S. LEXIS 3
- Docket number
- 75-312
- Decided
- June 24, 1976
- Argued
- March 24, 1976
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Obscenity, state
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Young, Mayor of Detroit, et al. v. American Mini Theatres, Inc., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1975-146, docket 1975-146-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- McKinney v. AlabamaLaw held unconstitutional
- Splawn v. California
- Ward v. Illinois
- Erznoznik v. City of JacksonvilleLaw held unconstitutional
- Jenkins v. Georgia
- Heller v. New York
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Nebraska Press Assn. v. Stuart
- Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Inc.Altered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Hynes v. Mayor and Council of Borough of OradellLaw held unconstitutional
- Kelley v. Johnson
- Greer v. Spock
- Hudgens v. National Labor Relations BoardAltered precedent
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Buckley v. ValeoLaw held unconstitutional
- Time, Inc. v. Firestone
- Hudgens v. National Labor Relations BoardAltered precedent
- McKinney v. AlabamaLaw held unconstitutional
- Greer v. Spock
- Kelley v. Johnson
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