Butler v. Michigan (1956)
- Docket
- 16
- Decided
- 1956-01-01
- Category
- General
Summary
Question: Does the Michigan obscenity statute violate free speech rights protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments? Conclusion: Yes. Justice Felix Frankfurter delivered the opinion of the 9-0 majority. The Court held that the Michigan statute unduly restricted the freedom of speech because it took only a single trial judge’s determination that the material could potentially corrupt minors to prohibit its dissemination. The Court noted that, although the State may attempt to protect juvenile innocence as part of its power to promote general welfare, the restrictions should be reasonably related to the evils of obscene material. Justice Hugo L. Black concurred without writing a separate opinion.