Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. and Ernesto Pichardo v. City of Hialeah
508 U.S. 520 · Decided June 11, 1993 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. and Ernesto Pichardo v. City of Hialeah was decided on June 11, 1993 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Free exercise of religion” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a municipal or other local ordinance unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 508 U.S. 520 · 113 S. Ct. 2217 · 124 L. Ed. 2d 472 · 1993 U.S. LEXIS 4022
- Docket number
- 91-948
- Decided
- June 11, 1993
- Argued
- November 4, 1992
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Anthony M. Kennedy
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Free exercise of religion
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A municipal or other local ordinance
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Concurrence | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority |
Full case caption
Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. and Ernesto Pichardo v. City of Hialeah
SCDB identifiers: case 1992-093, docket 1992-093-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”
- Lamb's Chapel and John Steigerwald v. Center Moriches Union Free School DistrictLaw held unconstitutional
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- Jimmy Swaggart Ministries v. Board of Equalization of California
- City of Boerne v. P. F. FloresLaw held unconstitutional
- Frazee v. Illinois Department of Employment Security
- Employment Division v. Smith
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
- Gary Locke v. Joshua Davey
- Trinity Lutheran Church v. ComerLaw held unconstitutional
- Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
- Espinoza v. Montana Department of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
- Carson v. MakinLaw held unconstitutional
- Zorach v. Clauson
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- City of Cincinnati v. Discovery Network, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Fred H. Edenfield v. Scott FaneLaw held unconstitutional
- El Vocero de Puerto Rico v. Puerto RicoLaw held unconstitutional
- Lamb's Chapel and John Steigerwald v. Center Moriches Union Free School DistrictLaw held unconstitutional
- Wisconsin v. Todd Mitchell
- Larry Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error