Landmark Communications, Inc. v. Virginia

435 U.S. 829 · Decided May 1, 1978 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Landmark Communications, Inc. v. Virginia was decided on May 1, 1978 unanimously (7–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

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

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: William J. Brennan Jr., Lewis F. Powell Jr..

Full case caption

Landmark Communications, Inc. v. Virginia

SCDB identifiers: case 1977-074, docket 1977-074-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”

• Houchins v. Kqed, Inc.
  438 U.S. 1Decided June 26, 19784–3Warren E. Burger
• Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation
  438 U.S. 726Decided July 3, 19785–4John Paul Stevens
• Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District
  439 U.S. 410Decided January 4, 19799–0William H. Rehnquist
• Jones v. North Carolina Prisoners' Labor Union, Inc.
  433 U.S. 119Decided June 23, 19777–2William H. Rehnquist
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  432 U.S. 43Decided June 14, 19775–4Per curiam
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  441 U.S. 463Decided April 30, 19797–1Per curiam

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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)

• First National Bank of Boston v. BellottiLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 765Decided April 26, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Pinkus v. United States
  436 U.S. 293Decided May 23, 19788–1Warren E. Burger
• Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Assn.
  436 U.S. 447Decided May 30, 19788–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Friedman v. Rogers
  440 U.S. 1Decided February 21, 19797–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co.
  433 U.S. 562Decided June 28, 19775–4Byron R. White
• Bates v. State Bar of ArizonaLaw held unconstitutional
  433 U.S. 350Decided June 27, 19775–4Harry A. Blackmun

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• New York v. Cathedral AcademyLaw held unconstitutional
  434 U.S. 125Decided December 6, 19776–3Potter Stewart
• McDaniel v. PatyLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 618Decided April 19, 19788–0Warren E. Burger
• First National Bank of Boston v. BellottiLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 765Decided April 26, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Pinkus v. United States
  436 U.S. 293Decided May 23, 19788–1Warren E. Burger
• Houchins v. Kqed, Inc.
  438 U.S. 1Decided June 26, 19784–3Warren E. Burger
• Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation
  438 U.S. 726Decided July 3, 19785–4John Paul Stevens

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