Carey v. Brown
| Carey v. Brown | |
|---|---|
| Argued April 15, 1980 Decided June 20, 1980 | |
| Full case name | Carey, State's Attorney of Cook County, v. Brown et al. |
| Citations | 447 U.S. 455 (more) |
| Argument | Oral argument |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Summary judgment granted for defendants, Brown v. Scott, 462 F.Supp. 518 (N.D. Ill. 1978); Reversed, Brown v. Scott, 602 F.2d 791 (7th Cir. 1979); cert. granted, 444 U. S. 1011 (1980) |
| Holding | |
| A ban on picketing of residences violates the Equal Protection clause if it has an exception allowing labor-related picketing. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Brennan, joined by Stewart, White, Marshall, Powell, Stevens |
| Concurrence | Stewart |
| Dissent | Rehnquist, joined by Burger, Blackmun |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amends. I, XVI, Chicago Police Dept. v. Mosley | |
Carey v. Brown, 447 U.S. 455 (1980), is a decision of the United States Supreme Court dealing with freedom of speech under the First Amendment. A law passed by the state of Illinois had banned picketing in front of residences, but it had made an exception for labor disputes. A group of activists challenged the law after being convicted for protesting in front of the home of the mayor of Chicago regarding a lack of racial integration. The Court found that the law's distinction–based on the subject matter of a protest–was unjustified and unconstitutional.