Legal Opinion
First Nat. Bank of Boston v. Bellotti
Supreme Court of the United States
Decided June 26, 1978No. 76-1172PublishedCited by 1,518 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtJustice Powell
In sustaining a state criminal statute that forbids certain expenditures by banks and business corporations for the purpose of influencing the vote on referendum proposals, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that the First Amendment rights of a corporation are limited to issues that materially affect its business, property, or assets. The court rejected appellants’ claim that the statute abridges freedom of speech in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The issue presented in this context is one of first impression in this Court. We postponed the question of…
2Cases cited85 opinions
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- United States v. O'BrienSupreme Court of the United States · 1968
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3Cited by1,518 opinions
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- Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service CommissionSupreme Court of the United States · 1980
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- Citizens United v. Federal Election CommissionSupreme Court of the United States · 2010
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