Find Court Cases > Renton v. Playtime Theatres Inc.

Renton v. Playtime Theatres Inc.

Case Date: 11/12/1985
Docket No: none

Facts of the Case 

The city of Renton, Washington, enacted a zoning ordinance that prohibited adult motion picture theaters from locating with in 1,000 feet of "any residential zone, single- or multiple-family dwelling, church, park, or school." Playtime Theatres, Inc., challenged the ordinance and sought a permanent injunction against its enforcement.

Question 

Did the Renton ordinance violate either the First or Fourteenth Amendment?

Argument Renton v. Playtime Theatres Inc. - Oral ArgumentFull Transcript Text  Download MP3 Conclusion  Decision: 7 votes for Renton, 2 vote(s) against Legal provision: Amendment 1: Speech, Press, and Assembly

In a 7-to-2 decision, the Court held that the zoning ordinance did not violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The Court held that the ordinance was a form of time, place, and manner regulation, not a ban on adult theaters altogether. The Court reasoned that the law was not aimed at the content of the films shown at adult motion picture theaters, "but rather the secondary effects of such theaters on the surrounding community." The Court found that the ordinance was designed to serve a substantial governmental interest in preserving the quality of life and allowed for "reasonable alternative avenues of communication."