Home > Great American Court Cases > Thornhill v. Alabama

Legal Citation: 310 U.S. 88 (1940)

Peititioner
Byron Thornhill

Respondent
State of Alabama

Petitioner's Claim
That an Alabama statute prohibiting all picketing, even peaceful labor demonstrations, violated his First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Chief Lawyers for Petitioner
James J. Mayfield, Joseph A. Padway

Chief Lawyer for Respondent
William H. Loeb

Justices for the Court
Hugo Lafayette Black, William O. Douglas, Felix Frankfurter, Charles Evans Hughes, Frank Murphy (writing for the Court), Stanley Forman Reed, Owen Josephus Roberts, Harlan Fiske Stone

Justices Dissenting
James Clark McReynolds

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
22 April 1940

Decision
The Supreme Court overturned the anti-picketing statute.