Lee Art Theatre, Inc. v. Virginia
392 U.S. 636 · Decided June 17, 1968 · 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
Lee Art Theatre, Inc. v. Virginia was decided on June 17, 1968 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. 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
- 392 U.S. 636 · 88 S. Ct. 2103 · 20 L. Ed. 2d 1313 · 1968 U.S. LEXIS 1145
- Docket number
- 997
- Decided
- June 17, 1968
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Obscenity, state
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Special concurrence | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Special concurrence | Co-authored an opinion |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Special concurrence | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Abe Fortas | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority |
Full case caption
Lee Art Theatre, Inc. v. Virginia
SCDB identifiers: case 1967-186, docket 1967-186-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- Henry v. Louisiana
- Rabeck v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Interstate Circuit, Inc. v. City of Dallas
- Ginsberg v. New York
- Interstate Circuit, Inc. v. City of DallasLaw held unconstitutional
- Felton v. City of Pensacola
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Pickering v. Board of Education of Township High School District 205
- Amalgamated Food Employees Union Local 590 v. Logan Valley Plaza, Inc.
- St. Amant v. Thompson
- Cameron v. Johnson
- Teitel Film Corp. v. CusackLaw held unconstitutional
- Carroll v. President and Commissioners of Princess Anne
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Associated Press v. Walker
- Potomac News Co. v. United States
- Conner v. City of Hammond
- Central Magazine Sales, Ltd. v. United States
- Beckley Newspapers Corp. v. Hanks
- Chance v. California
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