United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Saxbe v. Washington Post Co., 417 U.S. 843 (1974)

Saxbe v. Washington Post Co.

No. 73-1265

Argued April 17, 1974

Decided June 24, 1974

417 U.S. 843

Syllabus

The Policy Statement of the Federal Bureau of Prisons prohibiting personal interviews between newsmen and individually designated inmates of federal medium security and maximum security prisons does not abridge the freedom of the press that the First Amendment guarantees, Pell v. Procunier, ante p. 417 U. S. 817, since it "does not deny the press access to sources of information available to members of the general public," but is merely a particularized application of the general rule that nobody may enter the prison and designate an inmate whom he would like to visit unless the prospective visitor is a lawyer, clergyman, relative, or friend of that inmate. Pp. 417 U. S. 846-850.

161 U.S.App.D.C. 75, 494 F.2d 994, reversed and remanded.

STEWART, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which BURGER, C.J., and WHITE, BLACKMUN, and REHNQUIST, JJ., joined. DOUGLAS, J., filed a dissenting opinion, ante p. 417 U. S. 836. POWELL, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which BRENNAN and MARSHALL, JJ., joined, post, p. 417 U. S. 850.

Page 417 U. S. 844