Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
140 S. Ct. 2246 · Decided June 30, 2020 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue was decided on June 30, 2020 by a vote of 5–4. 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
- CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
- Supreme Court of the United States — slip opinions, October Term 2019
- Supreme Court of the United States — docket 18-1195
Case details
- Citations
- 140 S. Ct. 2246 · 207 L. Ed. 2d 679 · 2020 U.S. LEXIS 3518
- Docket number
- 18-1195
- Decided
- June 30, 2020
- Argued
- January 22, 2020
- 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
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)
- 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
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Elena Kagan | Dissent | |
| Justice Neil M. Gorsuch | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh | Majority |
Full case caption
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
SCDB identifiers: case 2019-038, docket 2019-038-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)”
- Carson v. MakinLaw held unconstitutional
- Trinity Lutheran Church v. ComerLaw held unconstitutional
- Gary Locke v. Joshua Davey
- Susan Tave Zelman v. Doris Simmons-Harris
- Guy Mitchell v. Mary L. HelmsAltered precedent
- Rachel Agostini v. Betty-Louise FeltonAltered precedent
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
- Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
- Mahmoud v. Taylor
- Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
- Christian Legal Society Chapter of the University of California v. Leo P. Martinez
- Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. and Ernesto Pichardo v. City of HialeahLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Thompson v. Hebdon
- U.S. Agency for Int'l Development v. Alliance for Open Society Int'l
- Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
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