California ex Rel. Cooper v. Mitchell Brothers' Santa Ana Theater
454 U.S. 90 · Decided November 30, 1981 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
California ex Rel. Cooper v. Mitchell Brothers' Santa Ana Theater was decided on November 30, 1981 by a vote of 6–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. 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.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 454 U.S. 90 · 102 S. Ct. 172 · 70 L. Ed. 2d 262 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 145
- Docket number
- 81-271
- Decided
- November 30, 1981
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent from denial or dismissal | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
California ex Rel. Cooper, City Attorney of Santa Ana, California v. Mitchell Brothers' Santa Ana Theater et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1981-007, docket 1981-007-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- New York State Liquor Authority v. Bellanca
- Schad v. Borough of Mount EphraimLaw held unconstitutional
- Flynt v. Ohio
- New York v. Ferber
- Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- In re R. M. J.Law held unconstitutional
- Village of Hoffman Estates v. the Flipside
- Brown v. HartlageLaw held unconstitutional
- Metromedia, Inc. v. City of San DiegoLaw held unconstitutional
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of NorfolkLaw held unconstitutional
- Board of Education v. Pico
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Federal Election Commission v. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- Widmar v. Vincent
- Citizens Against Rent Control/coalition for Fair Housing v. City of BerkeleyLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. Lee
- Village of Hoffman Estates v. the Flipside
- Bread Political Action Committee v. Federal Election Commission
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