Arlan's Department Store of Louisville, Inc. v. Kentucky
371 U.S. 218 · Decided December 17, 1962 · 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
Arlan's Department Store of Louisville, Inc. v. Kentucky was decided on December 17, 1962 by a vote of 8–1. SCDB codes the disposition as “petition denied or appeal dismissed.” The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Establishment of religion” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 371 U.S. 218 · 83 S. Ct. 277 · 9 L. Ed. 2d 264 · 1962 U.S. LEXIS 3
- Docket number
- 503
- Decided
- December 17, 1962
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Petition denied or appeal dismissed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Establishment of religion
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Arthur J. Goldberg | Majority |
Full case caption
Arlan's Department Store of Louisville, Inc., et al. v. Kentucky
SCDB identifiers: case 1962-022, docket 1962-022-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Establishment of religion”
- Engel v. Vitale
- School District of Abington Township v. SchemppLaw held unconstitutional
- Chamberlin v. Dade County Board of Public InstructionLaw held unconstitutional
- Torcaso v. WatkinsLaw held unconstitutional
- McGowan v. Maryland
- Two Guys From Harrison-Allentown, Inc. v. McGinley
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. ButtonLaw held unconstitutional
- Bantam Books, Inc. v. Sullivan
- Edwards v. South Carolina
- Fields v. South Carolina
- Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigation Committee
- Wheeldin v. Wheeler
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