City of Dallas v. Stanglin (1988)
- Docket
- 87-1848
- Decided
- 1988-01-01
Summary
Question: (1) Do age restrictions on social gathering violate the First Amendment right to freedom of association? (2) Do age restrictions on social gathering violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution? Conclusion: No, no. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist delivered the opinion for the 9-0 majority. The Court held that the ordinance was intended to protect the youth of Dallas against corrupting activity, which they may have access to when intermingling with adults. Therefore, the age restrictions on youth activities were reasonable under the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to freedom of association and equal protection under the law considering they are enforced to protect the youth from corrupt activities. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote an opinion concurring in the judgment in which he argued that the opportunity to socialize was protected under the Fourteenth Amendment, but that this case presented an issue of due process rather than freedom of association. He concurred with the judgment that the city ordinance protects teenagers and allowed them an even greater ability to associate than if the ordinance was not enforced. Justice Harry A. Blackmun joined in the opinion concurring in the judgment.