Jensen v. Quaring
472 U.S. 478 · Decided June 17, 1985 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Jensen v. Quaring was decided on June 17, 1985 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Free exercise of religion” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 472 U.S. 478 · 105 S. Ct. 3492 · 86 L. Ed. 2d 383 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 111
- Docket number
- 83-1944
- Decided
- June 17, 1985
- Argued
- January 7, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Free exercise of religion
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..
Full case caption
Jensen, Director, Department of Motor Vehicles of Nebraska, et al. v. Quaring
SCDB identifiers: case 1984-129, docket 1984-129-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”
- Goldman v. Weinberger
- Bowen v. Roy
- Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida
- O'Lone v. Estate of Shabazz
- Richard E. Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association
- Employment Division v. Smith
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Federal Election Commission v. National Conservative Political Action CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
- Wayte v. United States
- Board of Education of Oklahoma City v. National Gay Task ForceLaw held unconstitutional
- Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale v. Kathleen S. McCreary
- Wallace v. JaffreeLaw held unconstitutional
- McDonald v. Smith
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