Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission of New York
447 U.S. 557 · Decided June 20, 1980 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission of New York was decided on June 20, 1980 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Commercial speech, excluding attorneys” 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
- 447 U.S. 557 · 100 S. Ct. 2343 · 65 L. Ed. 2d 341 · 1980 U.S. LEXIS 48
- Docket number
- 79-565
- Decided
- June 20, 1980
- Argued
- March 17, 1980
- 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
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Commercial speech, excluding attorneys
- 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. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission of New York
SCDB identifiers: case 1979-127, docket 1979-127-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Commercial speech, excluding attorneys”
- Metromedia, Inc. v. City of San DiegoLaw held unconstitutional
- Friedman v. Rogers
- Bolger v. Youngs Drug Products Corp.Law held unconstitutional
- Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Township of WillingboroLaw held unconstitutional
- Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Inc.Altered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Bigelow v. VirginiaLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. v. Public Service Commission of New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia
- Branti v. Finkel
- Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Village of Schaumburg v. Citizens for a Better EnvironmentLaw held unconstitutional
- Brown v. Glines
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
- Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
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