Frazee v. Illinois Department of Employment Security
489 U.S. 829 · Decided March 29, 1989 · 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
Frazee v. Illinois Department of Employment Security was decided on March 29, 1989 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Free exercise of religion” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 489 U.S. 829 · 109 S. Ct. 1514 · 103 L. Ed. 2d 914 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 1671
- Docket number
- 87-1945
- Decided
- March 29, 1989
- Argued
- March 1, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- 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
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Frazee v. Illinois Department of Employment Security et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-063, docket 1988-063-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”
- Jimmy Swaggart Ministries v. Board of Equalization of California
- Employment Division v. Smith
- Richard E. Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association
- Employment Division v. Smith
- O'Lone v. Estate of Shabazz
- Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
- 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
- Zorach v. Clauson
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Carlucci v. Doe
- Texas Monthly, Inc. v. BullockLaw held unconstitutional
- Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana
- Eu v. San Francisco County Democratic Central CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
- City of Dallas v. Stanglin
- Thornburgh v. AbbottAltered precedent
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