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Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer

137 S. Ct. 2012 · Decided June 26, 2017 · 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

Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer was decided on June 26, 2017 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

Case details

Citations
137 S. Ct. 2012 · 198 L. Ed. 2d 551 · 2017 U.S. LEXIS 4061
Docket number
15-577
Decided
June 26, 2017
Argued
April 19, 2017
Court era
Roberts Court
Decision type
Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
Disposition
Reversed and remanded
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
Vote
7–2
Majority opinion
John G. Roberts Jr.
Opinion assigned by
John G. Roberts Jr.
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Issue area
First Amendment
Legal provision
First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
Type of law
Constitutional amendment
Held unconstitutional
A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
Decision direction (SCDB)
Conservative what this means

How the Justices voted

JusticeVoteSeparate writing
Justice Anthony M. KennedyMajority
Justice Clarence ThomasConcurrenceWrote an opinion
Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgDissent
Justice Stephen G. BreyerSpecial concurrenceWrote an opinion
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.MajorityWrote an opinion
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.Majority
Justice Sonia SotomayorDissentWrote an opinion
Justice Elena KaganMajority
Justice Neil M. GorsuchConcurrenceWrote an opinion

Full case caption

Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, Director, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

SCDB identifiers: case 2016-068, docket 2016-068-01.

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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