Niemotko v. Maryland
340 U.S. 268 · Decided January 15, 1951 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Niemotko v. Maryland was decided on January 15, 1951 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Free exercise of religion” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 340 U.S. 268 · 71 S. Ct. 325 · 95 L. Ed. 2d 267 · 1951 U.S. LEXIS 2247
- Docket number
- 17
- Decided
- January 15, 1951
- Argued
- October 17, 1950
- Court era
- Vinson 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
- Fred M. Vinson
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Free exercise of religion
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Majority | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Majority |
Full case caption
Niemotko v. Maryland
SCDB identifiers: case 1950-024, docket 1950-024-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”
- Kunz v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Kedroff v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in North AmericaLaw held unconstitutional
- Fowler v. Rhode IslandLaw held unconstitutional
- Poulos v. New Hampshire
- Kreshik v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church of North America
- Gallagher v. Crown Kosher Super Market of Massachusetts, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Cities Service Gas Co. v. Peerless Oil & Gas Co.
- Shepherd v. Florida
- Sweatt v. PainterLaw held unconstitutional
- McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher EducationLaw held unconstitutional
- Cassell v. Texas
- United States v. Burnison
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Kunz v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Feiner v. New York
- Gerende v. Board of Supervisors of Elections of Baltimore
- National Labor Relations Board v. Highland Park Manufacturing Co.
- Dennis v. United States
- Garner v. Board of Public Works of Los Angeles
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