Jones v. State Board of Education of Tennessee
397 U.S. 31 · Decided February 24, 1970 · 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
Jones v. State Board of Education of Tennessee was decided on February 24, 1970 by a vote of 6–2. 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 “Protest demonstrations” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 397 U.S. 31 · 90 S. Ct. 779 · 25 L. Ed. 2d 27 · 1970 U.S. LEXIS 73
- Docket number
- 731
- Decided
- February 24, 1970
- Argued
- January 19, 1970
- 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
- 6–2
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Protest demonstrations
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- Writ improvidently granted
- Type of law
- Other
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority |
Full case caption
Jones v. State Board of Education of Tennessee et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1969-042, docket 1969-042-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Protest demonstrations”
- Cowgill v. California
- Bachellar v. Maryland
- Schacht v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
- Street v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Gregory v. City of Chicago
- Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham
Cases on the same legal provision: Writ improvidently granted
- Taggart v. Weinacker's, Inc.
- Hester v. Illinois
- Conway v. California Adult Authority
- Monks v. New Jersey
- Moon v. Maryland
- Odom v. United States
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Bryson v. United States
- Carlos v. New York
- Cowgill v. California
- Cole v. Richardson
- Cain v. Kentucky
- Bachellar v. Maryland
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