Cole v. Arkansas
338 U.S. 345 · Decided December 5, 1949 · 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
Cole v. Arkansas was decided on December 5, 1949 unanimously (8–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Robert H. Jackson wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 338 U.S. 345 · 70 S. Ct. 172 · 94 L. Ed. 2d 155 · 1949 U.S. LEXIS 3028
- Docket number
- 62
- Decided
- December 5, 1949
- Argued
- November 9, 1949
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Robert H. Jackson
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- First Amendment, miscellaneous
- 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 Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Majority |
Did not participate: William O. Douglas.
Full case caption
Cole et al. v. Arkansas
SCDB identifiers: case 1949-017, docket 1949-017-01.
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- Building Service Employees International Union v. Gazzam
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- Feiner v. New York
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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Hughes v. Superior Court of California for Contra Costa County
- Kovacs v. Cooper
- Lincoln Federal Labor Union v. Northwestern Iron & Metal Co.Altered precedent
- American Federation of Labor v. American Sash & Door Co.
- Gerende v. Board of Supervisors of Elections of Baltimore
- Donaldson v. Read Magazine, Inc.
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- United States ex Rel. Knauff v. Shaughnessy
- United States v. Alpers
- American Communications Assn., C. I. O. v. Douds
- Hughes v. Superior Court of California for Contra Costa County
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Etc. Union v. Hanke
- Building Service Employees International Union v. Gazzam
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