Reynolds v. United States

Reynolds v. United States, 98 U.S. 145 (1879), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.

George Reynolds, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was convicted under federal anti-bigamy laws. He argued that the law violated the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause because his religion required polygamy. The case was the first Supreme Court decision to interpret the Free Exercise Clause.

Significance

Chief Justice Waite’s unanimous opinion upheld the conviction and established the distinction between religious belief (absolutely protected) and religious conduct (subject to generally applicable laws). ‘Laws are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious belief and opinions, they may with practices.’ This ‘belief/conduct’ distinction governed free exercise jurisprudence for nearly a century and was the foundation for the doctrine that neutral, generally applicable laws do not violate the Free Exercise Clause.

Category

US Federal Case Law