Osborne v. Ohio
495 U.S. 103 · Decided April 18, 1990 · 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
Osborne v. Ohio was decided on April 18, 1990 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Obscenity, state” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 495 U.S. 103 · 110 S. Ct. 1691 · 109 L. Ed. 2d 98 · 1990 U.S. LEXIS 2036
- Docket number
- 88-5986
- Decided
- April 18, 1990
- Argued
- December 5, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Obscenity, state
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Osborne v. Ohio
SCDB identifiers: case 1989-068, docket 1989-068-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- Massachusetts v. Oakes
- Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana
- Michael Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc.
- Pope v. Illinois
- City of Newport v. Iacobucci
- New York v. P.J. Video, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Austin v. Michigan State Chamber of Commerce
- Butterworth v. SmithLaw held unconstitutional
- Eddie Keller v. State Bar of California
- Gary E. Peel v. Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of IllinoisLaw held unconstitutional
- Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co.
- Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- University of Pennsylvania v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Fw/pbs, Inc. v. City of DallasLaw held unconstitutional
- Jimmy Swaggart Ministries v. Board of Equalization of California
- Federal Trade Commission v. Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association
- Butterworth v. SmithLaw held unconstitutional
- Austin v. Michigan State Chamber of Commerce
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