Guy Mitchell v. Mary L. Helms
530 U.S. 793 · Decided June 28, 2000 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Guy Mitchell v. Mary L. Helms was decided on June 28, 2000 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)” in the First Amendment area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 530 U.S. 793 · 120 S. Ct. 2530 · 147 L. Ed. 2d 660 · 2000 U.S. LEXIS 4485
- Docket number
- 98-1648
- Decided
- June 28, 2000
- Argued
- December 1, 1999
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Clarence Thomas
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (establishment of religion)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Altered precedent
- Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Special concurrence |
Full case caption
Guy Mitchell, et al. v. Mary L. Helms, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1999-087, docket 1999-087-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)”
- Susan Tave Zelman v. Doris Simmons-Harris
- Rachel Agostini v. Betty-Louise FeltonAltered precedent
- Gary Locke v. Joshua Davey
- Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Louis GrumetLaw held unconstitutional
- Larry Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District
- Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools, Etc. v. Bridget C. Mergens
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (establishment of religion)
- Santa Fe Independent School District v. Jane Doe
- Thomas Van Orden v. Rick Perry
- McCreary County v. American Civil Liberties Union of KentuckyLaw held unconstitutional
- Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board v. Vincent J. Pinette
- Ronald W. Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
- Robert E. Lee v. Daniel Weisman Etc.Law held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Los Angeles Police Department v. United Reporting Publishing Corporation
- Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government Pac
- Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System v. Scott Harold Southworth
- City of Erie v. Pap's A. M.
- United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Santa Fe Independent School District v. Jane Doe
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