CaseTrail

Wisconsin v. Yoder

406 U.S. 205 · Decided May 15, 1972 · 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

Wisconsin v. Yoder was decided on May 15, 1972 unanimously (7–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger 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 state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

Case details

Citations
406 U.S. 205 · 92 S. Ct. 1526 · 32 L. Ed. 2d 15 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 144
Docket number
70-110
Decided
May 15, 1972
Argued
December 8, 1971
Court era
Burger Court
Decision type
Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
Disposition
Affirmed
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
Vote
7–0 (unanimous)
Majority opinion
Warren E. Burger
Opinion assigned by
Warren E. Burger
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)
Liberal what this means

How the Justices voted

JusticeVoteSeparate writing
Justice William O. DouglasSpecial concurrenceWrote an opinion
Justice William J. Brennan Jr.Concurrence
Justice Potter StewartConcurrenceWrote an opinion
Justice Byron R. WhiteConcurrenceWrote an opinion
Justice Thurgood MarshallMajority
Chief Justice Warren E. BurgerMajorityWrote an opinion
Justice Harry A. BlackmunMajority

Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr., William H. Rehnquist.

Full case caption

Wisconsin v. Yoder et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1971-102, docket 1971-102-01.

Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (free exercise of religion)

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

See all

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