Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer
137 S. Ct. 2012 · Decided June 26, 2017 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer was decided on June 26, 2017 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
- CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
- Supreme Court of the United States — slip opinions, October Term 2016
Case details
- Citations
- 137 S. Ct. 2012 · 198 L. Ed. 2d 551 · 2017 U.S. LEXIS 4061
- Docket number
- 15-577
- Decided
- June 26, 2017
- Argued
- April 19, 2017
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)
- 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)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Elena Kagan | Majority | |
| Justice Neil M. Gorsuch | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, Director, Missouri Department of Natural Resources
SCDB identifiers: case 2016-068, docket 2016-068-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)”
- Espinoza v. Montana Department of RevenueLaw held unconstitutional
- Carson v. MakinLaw held unconstitutional
- Gary Locke v. Joshua Davey
- Susan Tave Zelman v. Doris Simmons-Harris
- Guy Mitchell v. Mary L. HelmsAltered precedent
- Rachel Agostini v. Betty-Louise FeltonAltered precedent
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (free exercise of religion)
- Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
- Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
- Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
- Christian Legal Society Chapter of the University of California v. Leo P. Martinez
- Mahmoud v. Taylor
- Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. and Ernesto Pichardo v. City of HialeahLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman
- Matal v. TamLaw held unconstitutional
- Packingham v. North CarolinaLaw 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