City of Dallas v. Stanglin/Concurrence Stevens

Justice STEVENS, with whom Justice BLACKMUN joins, concurring in the judgment.

In my opinion the opportunity to make friends and enjoy the company of other people-in a dance hall or elsewhere-is an aspect of liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. For that reason, I believe the critical issue in this case involves substantive due process rather than the First Amendment right of association. Nonetheless, I agree with the Court that the city has adequately justified the ordinance's modest impairment of the liberty of teenagers. Indeed, I suspect that the ordinance actually gives teenagers greater opportunity to associate than they would have if the Class E dance-hall provision were invalidated. I therefore join the Court's judgment.