City of Newport v. Iacobucci
479 U.S. 92 · Decided November 17, 1986 · 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
City of Newport v. Iacobucci was decided on November 17, 1986 by a vote of 5–4. 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
- 479 U.S. 92 · 107 S. Ct. 383 · 93 L. Ed. 2d 334 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 20
- Docket number
- 86-139
- Decided
- November 17, 1986
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Obscenity, state
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- Twenty-First Amendment
- 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 Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Jurisdictional dissent |
Full case caption
City of Newport, Kentucky, et al. v. Iacobucci, Dba Talk of the Town, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-009, docket 1986-009-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- Pope v. Illinois
- New York v. P.J. Video, Inc.
- City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc.
- Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana
- Massachusetts v. Oakes
Cases on the same legal provision: Twenty-First Amendment
- North Dakota v. United States
- United States v. Tax Commission of MississippiLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. State Tax Commission of Mississippi
- California v. Washington
- Gordon v. Texas.
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida
- Meese v. Keene
- Pope v. Illinois
- Turner v. Safley
- O'Lone v. Estate of Shabazz
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