Albert Snyder v. Fred W. Phelps, Sr.
562 U.S. 443 · Decided March 2, 2011 · 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
Albert Snyder v. Fred W. Phelps, Sr. was decided on March 2, 2011 by a vote of 8–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Protest demonstrations” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 562 U.S. 443 · 131 S. Ct. 1207 · 179 L. Ed. 2d 172 · 2011 U.S. LEXIS 1903
- Docket number
- 09-751
- Decided
- March 2, 2011
- Argued
- October 6, 2010
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Protest demonstrations
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Majority | |
| Justice Elena Kagan | Majority |
Full case caption
Albert Snyder, Petitioner v. Fred W. Phelps, Sr., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2010-023, docket 2010-023-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Protest demonstrations”
- Wood v. Moss
- Deborah Morse v. Joseph Frederick
- Virginia v. Barry Elton BlackLaw held unconstitutional
- Lindke v. Freed
- O'Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier
- Olivier v. City of Brandon
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Nevada Commission on Ethics v. Michael A. Carrigan
- Sorrell v. Ims Health Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Edmund G. Brown, Jr. v. Entertainment Merchants AssociationLaw held unconstitutional
- Arizona Free Enterprise Club's Freedom Club Pac v. Ken BennettLaw held unconstitutional
- John Doe #1 v. Sam Reed
- Citizens United v. Federal Election CommissionAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Nevada Commission on Ethics v. Michael A. Carrigan
- Borough of Duryea v. Charles J Guarnieri
- Sorrell v. Ims Health Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Edmund G. Brown, Jr. v. Entertainment Merchants AssociationLaw held unconstitutional
- Arizona Free Enterprise Club's Freedom Club Pac v. Ken BennettLaw 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