Gabriel Olivier, Petitioner v. City of Brandon, Mississippi

Gabriel Olivier, a Mississippi street preacher, challenged a city ordinance limiting protests near an amphitheater. The Court ruled 9-0 for Olivier. It said Heck v. Humphrey does not block his Section 1983 suit for prospective relief (future protection).

This affects people punished under a law who still face it again, including speakers like Gabriel Olivier. Olivier, a Mississippi street preacher fined under Brandon’s ordinance, may use Section 1983 (a federal civil rights law). He can seek an injunction (a court order) against future enforcement, even after his earlier punishment. Next, more plaintiffs may ask federal courts for forward-looking relief against laws they say violate the Constitution. The decision says Heck v. Humphrey does not block suits seeking only prospective relief.

Not official Court text.

Vote split

9-0

Majority author

Elena Kagan