California et al. v. Larue et al.

Decided December 5, 1972. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 71-36 · 409 U.S. 109 (1972) · Cited 833 times

Holding

In the context, not of censoring dramatic performances in a theater, but of licensing bars and nightclubs to sell liquor by the drink, the States have broad latitude under the Twenty-first Amendment to control the manner and circumstances under which liquor may be dispensed, and here the conclusion that sale of liquor by the drink and lewd or naked entertainment should not take place simultaneously in licensed establishments was not irrational nor was the prophylactic solution unreasonable.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Roth v. United States · 354 U.S. 476 (1957)
• United States v. O'Brien · 391 U.S. 367 (1968)
• Younger v. Harris · 401 U.S. 37 (1971)
• Stanley v. Georgia · 394 U.S. 557 (1969)
• A Book Named \John Cleland's Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure\" v. Attorney General of Massachusetts" · 383 U.S. 413 (1966)
• Hostetter v. Idlewild Bon Voyage Liquor Corp. · 377 U.S. 324 (1964)
• Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc. v. Hostetter · 384 U.S. 35 (1966)
• Sherbert v. Verner · 374 U.S. 398 (1963)
• Alabama State Federation of Labor v. McAdory · 325 U.S. 450 (1945)
• Wisconsin v. Constantineau · 400 U.S. 433 (1971)
• Baggett v. Bullitt · 377 U.S. 360 (1964)
• Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson · 343 U.S. 495 (1952)
• Perry v. Sindermann · 408 U.S. 593 (1972)
• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Button · 371 U.S. 415 (1963)
• Schneider v. State (Town of Irvington) · 308 U.S. 147 (1939)
• Speiser v. Randall · 357 U.S. 513 (1958)
• Keyishian v. Board of Regents of Univ. of State of NY · 385 U.S. 589 (1967)
• Cox v. Louisiana · 379 U.S. 536 (1965)
• Zwickler v. Koota · 389 U.S. 241 (1967)
• United States v. Robel · 389 U.S. 258 (1967)
• Schacht v. United States · 398 U.S. 58 (1970)
• State Bd. of Equalization of Cal. v. Young's Market Co. · 299 U.S. 59 (1936)
• Pickering v. Board of Ed. of Township High School Dist. 205, Will Cty. · 391 U.S. 563 (1968)
• Griswold v. Connecticut · 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority · 297 U.S. 288 (1936)
• Aetna Life Insurance v. Haworth · 300 U.S. 227 (1937)
• Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. · 348 U.S. 483 (1955)
• Thornhill v. Alabama · 310 U.S. 88 (1940)
• Dombrowski v. Pfister · 380 U.S. 479 (1965)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• New York State Liquor Authority v. Bellanca · 452 U.S. 714 (1981)
• 44 Liquormart, Inc. v. Rhode Island · 517 U.S. 484 (1996)
• Schad v. Borough of Mount Ephraim · 452 U.S. 61 (1981)
• Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc. · 501 U.S. 560 (1991)
• Craig v. Boren · 429 U.S. 190 (1976)
• Rubin v. Coors Brewing Co. · 514 U.S. 476 (1995)
• Larkin v. Grendel's Den, Inc. · 459 U.S. 116 (1982)
• Doran v. Salem Inn, Inc. · 422 U.S. 922 (1975)
• City of Kenosha v. Bruno · 412 U.S. 507 (1973)
• Metromedia, Inc. v. City of San Diego · 453 U.S. 490 (1981)
• Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida · 517 U.S. 44 (1996)
• Insurance Corp. of Ireland v. Compagnie Des Bauxites De Guinee · 456 U.S. 694 (1982)
• Miller v. California · 413 U.S. 15 (1973)
• City of Lakewood v. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. · 486 U.S. 750 (1988)
• City of Erie v. Pap's A. M. · 529 U.S. 277 (2000)
• Osborne v. Ohio · 495 U.S. 103 (1990)
• Bacchus Imports, Ltd. v. Dias · 468 U.S. 263 (1984)
• Pennsylvania v. Union Gas Co. · 491 U.S. 1 (1989)
• Capital Cities Cable, Inc. v. Crisp · 467 U.S. 691 (1984)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1972). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).