Metromedia, Inc., et al. v. City of San Diego, et al.

Decided July 2, 1981. Byron Raymond White delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 80-195 · 453 U.S. 490 (1981) · Cited 1,213 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

“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.

• Kovacs v. Cooper · 336 U.S. 77 (1949)
• Cantwell v. Connecticut · 310 U.S. 296 (1940)
• Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Inc. · 425 U.S. 748 (1976)
• Schad v. Borough of Mount Ephraim · 452 U.S. 61 (1981)
• Schneider v. State (Town of Irvington) · 308 U.S. 147 (1939)
• Lehman v. City of Shaker Heights · 418 U.S. 298 (1974)
• Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Township of Willingboro · 431 U.S. 85 (1977)
• Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission · 447 U.S. 557 (1980)
• Police Dept. of Chicago v. Mosley · 408 U.S. 92 (1972)
• Bates v. State Bar of Arizona · 433 U.S. 350 (1977)
• Consolidated Edison Co. of New York v. Public Service Commission · 447 U.S. 530 (1980)
• Saia v. New York · 334 U.S. 558 (1948)
• Broadrick v. Oklahoma · 413 U.S. 601 (1973)
• Young v. American Mini Theatres, Inc. · 427 U.S. 50 (1976)
• Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc. · 452 U.S. 640 (1981)
• Martin v. City of Struthers · 319 U.S. 141 (1943)
• Lovell v. City of Griffin · 303 U.S. 444 (1938)
• Southeastern Promotions, Ltd. v. Conrad · 420 U.S. 546 (1975)
• Carey v. Brown · 447 U.S. 455 (1980)
• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan · 376 U.S. 254 (1964)
• Haguer v. Committee for Industrial Organization · 307 U.S. 496 (1939)
• First Nat. Bank of Boston v. Bellotti · 435 U.S. 765 (1978)
• Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham · 394 U.S. 147 (1969)
• Berman v. Parker · 348 U.S. 26 (1954)
• Erznoznik v. City of Jacksonville · 422 U.S. 205 (1975)
• Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Assn. · 436 U.S. 447 (1978)
• Bigelow v. Virginia · 421 U.S. 809 (1975)
• United States v. Thirty-Seven (37) Photographs · 402 U.S. 363 (1971)
• Railway Express Agency, Inc. v. New York · 336 U.S. 106 (1949)
• City of Madison Joint School District No. 8 v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission · 429 U.S. 167 (1976)

Cited by

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

• Members of the City Council of Los Angeles v. Taxpayers for Vincent · 466 U.S. 789 (1984)
• City of Ladue v. Gilleo · 512 U.S. 43 (1994)
• City of Cincinnati v. Discovery Network, Inc. · 507 U.S. 410 (1993)
• City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising of Austin, LLC · 596 U.S. 61 (2022)
• City of Lakewood v. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. · 486 U.S. 750 (1988)
• Posadas De Puerto Rico Associates v. Tourism Co. of Puerto Rico · 478 U.S. 328 (1986)
• Board of Trustees of State Univ. of NY v. Fox · 492 U.S. 469 (1989)
• Regan v. Time, Inc. · 468 U.S. 641 (1984)
• Perry Education Ass'n v. Perry Local Educators' Ass'n · 460 U.S. 37 (1983)
• R. A. v. v. City of St. Paul · 505 U.S. 377 (1992)
• Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission · 512 U.S. 622 (1994)
• Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc. · 472 U.S. 749 (1985)
• New York v. Ferber · 458 U.S. 747 (1982)
• City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc. · 475 U.S. 41 (1986)
• Bolger v. Youngs Drug Products Corp. · 463 U.S. 60 (1983)
• Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of Ohio · 471 U.S. 626 (1985)
• Madsen v. Women's Health Center, Inc. · 512 U.S. 753 (1994)
• 44 Liquormart, Inc. v. Rhode Island · 517 U.S. 484 (1996)
• Edenfield v. Fane · 507 U.S. 761 (1993)
• Lorillard Tobacco Co. v. Reilly · 533 U.S. 525 (2001)
• National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley · 524 U.S. 569 (1998)
• Arkansas Writers' Project, Inc. v. Ragland · 481 U.S. 221 (1987)
• City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books, Inc. · 535 U.S. 425 (2002)
• Goldman v. Weinberger · 475 U.S. 503 (1986)
• Washington v. Seattle School District No. 1 · 458 U.S. 457 (1982)
• Federal Trade Commission v. Superior Court Trial Lawyers Ass'n · 493 U.S. 411 (1990)
• Sporhase v. Nebraska Ex Rel. Douglas · 458 U.S. 941 (1982)

Official text

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

Explore from here

Byron Raymond White’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). 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).