HOME > First Amendment Library > Case   California Medical Association v. Federal Elections Commission (docket #: 79-1952) (1981)  [Findlaw] Argument Date 01/19/1981 Decided 6/26/1981 Supreme Court Vote 4-1-4 Supreme Court Ruling First Amendment claim denied   Issue Whether a provision of the 1971 Federal Elections Campaign Act prohibiting individual contributions of over $5000 to multicandidate political committees violated First Amendment guarantees of speech and associational freedoms. Majority Opinion Marshall, J. (in parts I, II, and IV) Concurring Opinion Blackmun, J. (concurring in part and in judgment) Dissenting Opinion Stewart, J. (joined by Burger, C.J., Powell, J., & Rehnquist, J.) Lower Court 9th Circuit Lower Court Ruling First Amendment claim denied Lawyers For Petitioner Rick C. Zimmerman For Respondent Charles N. Steele Briefs For Amicus Bruce J. Ennis, Jr. for the American Civil Liberties Union (for petitioner) Louis R. Cohen, A. Stephen Hut, Jr., Roger M. Witten, Kenneth J. Guido, Jr., and Ellen G. Block for Common Cause (for respondent) Ruling - Lower Court 641 F.2d 619  SEARCH MORE About this site About the First Amendment About the First Amendment Center How to contribute Video/RSS/podcasts First Amendment programs State of the First Amendment reports Religious liberty in public schools First Reports Supreme Court Columnists Experts First Amendment publications First Amendment Center history Glossary Freedom Sings™ Events First Amendment Schools Congressional Research Service reports Guest editorials FOI material The First Amendment Library Lesson plans freedomforum.org Newseum Contact us Privacy statement Related links