Kedroff v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America
344 U.S. 94 · Decided November 24, 1952 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Kedroff v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America was decided on November 24, 1952 by a vote of 8–1. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Stanley F. Reed wrote the opinion of the Court. 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
- 344 U.S. 94 · 73 S. Ct. 143 · 97 L. Ed. 2d 120 · 1952 U.S. LEXIS 2666
- Docket number
- 3
- Decided
- November 24, 1952
- Argued
- February 1, 1952
- Reargued
- October 14, 1952
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- Stanley F. Reed
- Opinion assigned by
- Stanley F. Reed
- 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
- 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 Hugo L. Black | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Concurrence | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Majority |
Full case caption
Kedroff et al. v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America
SCDB identifiers: case 1952-013, docket 1952-013-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Free exercise of religion”
- Fowler v. Rhode IslandLaw held unconstitutional
- Poulos v. New Hampshire
- Niemotko v. Maryland
- Kunz v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Kreshik v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church of North America
- Gallagher v. Crown Kosher Super Market of Massachusetts, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
- Zorach v. Clauson
- 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
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Wieman v. UpdegraffLaw held unconstitutional
- National Labor Relations Board v. Dant
- Fowler v. Rhode IslandLaw held unconstitutional
- Poulos v. New Hampshire
- United States v. Nugent
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