Wooley v. Maynard et Ux.
430 U.S. 705 · Decided April 20, 1977 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Wooley v. Maynard et Ux. was decided on April 20, 1977 by a vote of 6–3. 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
- 430 U.S. 705 · 97 S. Ct. 1428 · 51 L. Ed. 2d 752 · 1977 U.S. LEXIS 75
- Docket number
- 75-1453
- Decided
- April 20, 1977
- Argued
- November 29, 1976
- 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
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Warren E. Burger
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- 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 state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
Wooley, Chief of Police of Lebanon, et al. v. Maynard et Ux.
SCDB identifiers: case 1976-088, docket 1976-088-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”
- Parker Seal Co. v. Cummins
- Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese for the United States of America and Canada v. Milivojevich
- McDaniel v. PatyLaw held unconstitutional
- Jones v. Wolf
- Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security DivisionLaw held unconstitutional
- Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
- Zorach v. Clauson
- 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
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Parker Seal Co. v. Cummins
- City of Madison Joint School District No. 8 v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission
- Mt. Healthy City School District Board of Education v. Doyle
- Marks v. United States
- Oklahoma Publishing Co. v. District Court in and for Oklahoma County
- Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Township of WillingboroLaw held unconstitutional
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