Smith v. Daily Mail Publishing Co.

443 U.S. 97 · Decided June 26, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Smith v. Daily Mail Publishing Co. was decided on June 26, 1979 unanimously (8–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. 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: Lewis F. Powell Jr..

Full case caption

Smith, Judge, et al. v. Daily Mail Publishing Co. et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1978-142, docket 1978-142-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”

• Marchioro v. Chaney
  442 U.S. 191Decided June 4, 19798–0John Paul Stevens
• Smith v. Arkansas State Highway Employees
  441 U.S. 463Decided April 30, 19797–1Per curiam
• Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District
  439 U.S. 410Decided January 4, 19799–0William H. Rehnquist
• Brown v. Glines
  444 U.S. 348Decided January 21, 19805–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Secretary of the Navy v. Huff
  444 U.S. 453Decided January 21, 19805–3Per curiam
• Snepp v. United States
  444 U.S. 507Decided February 19, 19806–3Per curiam

See all

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

• Wolston v. Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
  443 U.S. 157Decided June 26, 19798–1William H. Rehnquist
• Herbert v. Lando
  441 U.S. 153Decided April 18, 19796–3Byron R. White
• Friedman v. Rogers
  440 U.S. 1Decided February 21, 19797–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  445 U.S. 308Decided March 18, 19805–4Per curiam
• Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission of New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
  447 U.S. 557Decided June 20, 19808–1Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Assn.
  436 U.S. 447Decided May 30, 19788–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District
  439 U.S. 410Decided January 4, 19799–0William H. Rehnquist
• Friedman v. Rogers
  440 U.S. 1Decided February 21, 19797–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Herbert v. Lando
  441 U.S. 153Decided April 18, 19796–3Byron R. White
• Smith v. Arkansas State Highway Employees
  441 U.S. 463Decided April 30, 19797–1Per curiam
• Marchioro v. Chaney
  442 U.S. 191Decided June 4, 19798–0John Paul Stevens
• Hutchinson v. Proxmire
  443 U.S. 111Decided June 26, 19798–1Warren 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