City of Lakewood v. Plain Dealer Publishing Co.
486 U.S. 750 · Decided June 17, 1988 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
City of Lakewood v. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. was decided on June 17, 1988 by a vote of 4–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a municipal or other local ordinance unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 486 U.S. 750 · 108 S. Ct. 2138 · 100 L. Ed. 2d 771 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 2863
- Docket number
- 86-1042
- Decided
- June 17, 1988
- Argued
- November 4, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–3
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- First Amendment, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A municipal or other local ordinance
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Did not participate: William H. Rehnquist, Anthony M. Kennedy.
Full case caption
City of Lakewood v. Plain Dealer Publishing Co.
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-118, docket 1987-118-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”
- Frisby v. Schultz
- Meyer v. GrantLaw held unconstitutional
- Riley v. National Federation of the Blind of North Carolina, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
- Eu v. San Francisco County Democratic Central CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
- City of Dallas v. Stanglin
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Shapero v. Kentucky Bar AssociationLaw held unconstitutional
- Michael Boos, J. Michael Waller and Bridget Brooker v. Marion S. Barry, Jr.Law held unconstitutional
- Hustler Magazine and Larry C. Flynt v. Jerry Falwell
- Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana
- City of Houston v. HillLaw held unconstitutional
- Texas v. JohnsonLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
- Department of the Navy v. Egan
- Hustler Magazine and Larry C. Flynt v. Jerry Falwell
- Michael Boos, J. Michael Waller and Bridget Brooker v. Marion S. Barry, Jr.Law held unconstitutional
- Richard E. Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association
- Employment Division v. Smith
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