Larkin v. Grendel's Den, Inc.
459 U.S. 116 · Decided December 13, 1982 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Larkin v. Grendel's Den, Inc. was decided on December 13, 1982 by a vote of 8–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Establishment 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
- 459 U.S. 116 · 103 S. Ct. 505 · 74 L. Ed. 2d 297 · 1982 U.S. LEXIS 170
- Docket number
- 81-878
- Decided
- December 13, 1982
- Argued
- October 4, 1982
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- Warren E. Burger
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Establishment of religion
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (establishment 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 William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Larkin et al. v. Grendel's Den, Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 1982-010, docket 1982-010-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Establishment of religion”
- Marsh v. Chambers
- Larson v. ValenteLaw held unconstitutional
- Widmar v. Vincent
- Lynch v. Donnelly
- Stone v. GrahamLaw held unconstitutional
- Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale v. Kathleen S. McCreary
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (establishment of religion)
- Mueller v. Allen
- Wallace v. JaffreeLaw held unconstitutional
- School District of the City of Grand Rapids v. Ball
- Aguilar v. FeltonLaw held unconstitutional
- Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty v. Regan
- Witters v. Washington Department of Services for the Blind
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Brown v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
- Federal Election Commission v. National Right to Work Committee
- Perry Education Association v. Perry Local Educators' Association
- Minneapolis Star & Tribune Co. v. Minnesota Commissioner of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
- Connick v. Myers
- United States v. GraceLaw held unconstitutional
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