Grayned v. City of Rockford

408 U.S. 104 · Decided June 26, 1972 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Grayned v. City of Rockford was decided on June 26, 1972 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Protest demonstrations” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a municipal or other local ordinance unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Grayned v. City of Rockford

SCDB identifiers: case 1971-162, docket 1971-162-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Protest demonstrations”

• Police Department of the City of Chicago v. MosleyLaw held unconstitutional
  408 U.S. 92Decided June 26, 19729–0Thurgood Marshall
• Colten v. Kentucky
  407 U.S. 104Decided June 12, 19727–2Byron R. White
• Gooding v. WilsonLaw held unconstitutional
  405 U.S. 518Decided March 23, 19725–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Cohen v. California
  403 U.S. 15Decided June 7, 19715–4John M. Harlan II
• Coates v. City of CincinnatiLaw held unconstitutional
  402 U.S. 611Decided June 1, 19715–4Potter Stewart
• Radich v. New York
  401 U.S. 531Decided March 24, 19714–4

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Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)

• Wright v. Council of the City of Emporia
  407 U.S. 451Decided June 22, 19725–4Potter Stewart
• United States v. Scotland Neck City Board of EducationLaw held unconstitutional
  407 U.S. 484Decided June 22, 19729–0Potter Stewart
• Peters v. Kiff
  407 U.S. 493Decided June 22, 19726–3Thurgood Marshall
• James v. StrangeLaw held unconstitutional
  407 U.S. 128Decided June 12, 19729–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Moose Lodge No. 107 v. Irvis
  407 U.S. 163Decided June 12, 19726–3William H. Rehnquist
• Jackson v. IndianaLaw held unconstitutional
  406 U.S. 715Decided June 7, 19727–0Harry A. Blackmun

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Parisi v. Davidson
  405 U.S. 34Decided February 23, 19727–0Potter Stewart
• Rabe v. Washington
  405 U.S. 313Decided March 20, 19729–0Per curiam
• Cruz v. Beto
  405 U.S. 319Decided March 20, 19728–1Per curiam
• Fein v. Selective Service System Local Board No. 7 of Yonkers
  405 U.S. 365Decided March 21, 19724–3Harry A. Blackmun
• Gooding v. WilsonLaw held unconstitutional
  405 U.S. 518Decided March 23, 19725–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Cole v. Richardson
  405 U.S. 676Decided April 18, 19724–3Warren E. Burger

See all

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