Flynt v. Ohio
451 U.S. 619 · Decided May 18, 1981 · 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
Flynt v. Ohio was decided on May 18, 1981 by a vote of 5–4. SCDB codes the disposition as “petition denied or appeal dismissed.” 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
- 451 U.S. 619 · 101 S. Ct. 1958 · 68 L. Ed. 2d 489 · 1981 U.S. LEXIS 100
- Docket number
- 80-420
- Decided
- May 18, 1981
- Argued
- March 24, 1981
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Petition denied or appeal dismissed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Obscenity, state
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. § 1257
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | 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 | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Flynt et al. v. Ohio
SCDB identifiers: case 1980-093, docket 1980-093-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- Schad v. Borough of Mount EphraimLaw held unconstitutional
- New York State Liquor Authority v. Bellanca
- California ex Rel. Cooper v. Mitchell Brothers' Santa Ana Theater
- New York v. Ferber
- Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Ward v. Illinois
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. § 1257
- San Diego Gas & Electric Co. v. City of San Diego
- O'Dell v. Espinoza
- Xerox Corp. v. County of Harris
- Key v. Doyle
- R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Durham County
- Costarelli v. Massachusetts
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Stone v. GrahamLaw held unconstitutional
- Democratic Party of United States v. Wisconsin ex Rel. La FolletteLaw held unconstitutional
- Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security DivisionLaw held unconstitutional
- Schad v. Borough of Mount EphraimLaw held unconstitutional
- Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc.
- New York State Liquor Authority v. Bellanca
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