Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida
480 U.S. 136 · Decided February 25, 1987 · 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
Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida was decided on February 25, 1987 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. 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
- 480 U.S. 136 · 107 S. Ct. 1046 · 94 L. Ed. 2d 190 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 938
- Docket number
- 85-993
- Decided
- February 25, 1987
- Argued
- December 10, 1986
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Full case caption
Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-039, docket 1986-039-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”
- O'Lone v. Estate of Shabazz
- Bowen v. Roy
- Goldman v. Weinberger
- Richard E. Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association
- Employment Division v. Smith
- Jensen v. QuaringLaw held unconstitutional
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
- Zorach v. Clauson
- Carson v. MakinLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- City of Newport v. Iacobucci
- Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Meese v. Keene
- Pope v. Illinois
- Turner v. Safley
- O'Lone v. Estate of Shabazz
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