Parker Seal Co. v. Cummins
429 U.S. 65 · Decided November 2, 1976 · 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
Parker Seal Co. v. Cummins was decided on November 2, 1976 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.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 429 U.S. 65 · 97 S. Ct. 342 · 50 L. Ed. 2d 223 · 1976 U.S. LEXIS 172
- Docket number
- 75-478
- Decided
- November 2, 1976
- Argued
- October 12, 1976
- 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
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | 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 Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: John Paul Stevens.
Full case caption
Parker Seal Co. v. Cummins
SCDB identifiers: case 1976-012, docket 1976-012-01.
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Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
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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