Torcaso v. Watkins
367 U.S. 488 · Decided June 19, 1961 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Torcaso v. Watkins was decided on June 19, 1961 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Hugo L. Black 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
- 367 U.S. 488 · 81 S. Ct. 1680 · 6 L. Ed. 2d 982 · 1961 U.S. LEXIS 809
- Docket number
- 373
- Decided
- June 19, 1961
- Argued
- April 24, 1961
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Hugo L. Black
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- 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 Hugo L. Black | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Special concurrence | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Special concurrence | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority |
Full case caption
Torcaso v. Watkins, Clerk
SCDB identifiers: case 1960-129, docket 1960-129-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Establishment of religion”
- McGowan v. Maryland
- Two Guys From Harrison-Allentown, Inc. v. McGinley
- Engel v. Vitale
- Arlan's Department Store of Louisville, Inc. v. Kentucky
- School District of Abington Township v. SchemppLaw held unconstitutional
- Chamberlin v. Dade County Board of Public InstructionLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (establishment of religion)
- Board of Education of Central School District No. 1 v. Allen
- Lemon v. KurtzmanLaw held unconstitutional
- Lemon v. Kurtzman
- Levitt v. Committee for Public Education & Religious LibertyLaw held unconstitutional
- Hunt v. McNair
- Sloan v. LemonLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- McPhaul v. United States
- Uphaus v. Wyman
- Shelton v. TuckerLaw held unconstitutional
- Travis v. United States
- Times Film Corp. v. City of Chicago
- Wilkinson v. United States
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