Walker v. Ohio
398 U.S. 434 · Decided June 15, 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
Walker v. Ohio was decided on June 15, 1970 by a vote of 5–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. 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
- 398 U.S. 434 · 90 S. Ct. 1884 · 26 L. Ed. 2d 385 · 1970 U.S. LEXIS 27
- Docket number
- 1470
- Decided
- June 15, 1970
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–2
- Opinion assigned by
- Hugo L. Black
- 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)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall, Harry A. Blackmun.
Full case caption
Walker v. Ohio
SCDB identifiers: case 1969-116, docket 1969-116-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Obscenity, state”
- Bloss v. Dykema
- Hoyt v. Minnesota
- Cain v. Kentucky
- Carlos v. New York
- Grove Press, Inc. v. Maryland State Board of Censors
- Stanley v. GeorgiaLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Greenbelt Cooperative Publishing Assn., Inc. v. Bresler
- Rowan v. United States Post Office Department
- Bachellar v. Maryland
- Law Students Civil Rights Research Council, Inc. v. Wadmond
- Monitor Patriot Co. v. Roy
- Time, Inc. v. Pape
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Bryson v. United States
- Carlos v. New York
- Cowgill v. California
- Jones v. State Board of Education of Tennessee
- Cole v. Richardson
- Cain v. Kentucky
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