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Braunfeld v. Brown - Significance, Impact, Blue Laws/morality Laws

court congressional quarterly oxford

Appellant

Abraham Braunfeld, et al.

Appellee

Albert N. Brown, Commissioner of Police of Philadelphia, et al.

Appellant's Claim

That Philadelphia's blue laws, which force the closing of stores on Sundays, interfere with the free exercise of religion.

Chief Lawyer for Appellant

Theodore R. Mann

Chief Lawyer for the Appellee

David Berger

Justices for the Court

Hugo Lafayette Black, Tom C. Clark, Felix Frankfurter, John Marshall Harlan II, Charles Evans Whittaker, Earl Warren (writing for the Court)

Justices Dissenting

William J. Brennan, Jr., William O. Douglas, Potter Stewart

Place

Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision

29 May 1961

Decision

Upheld Pennsylvania's blue laws, deciding that they did not violate individual freedom of religion.

Related Cases

  • Reynolds v. United States, 98 U.S. 145 (1879).
  • Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 296 (1940).
  • McGowan v. Maryland, 366 U.S. 420 (1961).
  • Two Guys from Harrison-Allentown, Inc. v. McGinley, 366 U.S. 582 (1961).

Sources

New Standard Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, Chicago, IL: Standard Educational Corp., 1990.

Further Readings

  • Biskupic, Joan and Elder Witt, eds. Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court, 3rd ed. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1996.
  • Hall, Kermit L., ed. The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992.
  • Witt, Elder, ed. Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1990.

Additional Topics

Braunfeld v. Brown - Significance

The Court considered whether a law which establishes a valid secular goal, but which results in indirect burdens for people of a particular religion, violates First Amendment rights to the freedom of religion. The Court decided that laws which do not prohibit the practice of a religion, even if they present related difficulties, cannot be considered unconstitutional. "Blue laws" are state laws whi…

Braunfeld v. Brown - Impact

Braunfeld v. Brown - Blue Laws/morality Laws

Blue laws seek to strictly legislate personal behavior in puritanical fashion, particularly on Sundays and holidays. The origin of the expression, "blue laws," goes back to 1781, and is attributed to Reverend Samuel A. Peters in his book, A General History of Connecticut. Peters coined the phrase, "blue laws," and makes reference to these laws supposedly in force in Connecticut. Some of the laws h…

Brief for Appellants in Nos. 2 (1,) and 3 and for Respondents in No. on Further Reargument (5 ) - In The Supreme Court Of The United States October Term, 1954, Appeals From The United States District Courts For The District Of Kansas, The Eastern District [next] [back] Boynton v. Virginia: 1960 - Court Splits, But For Boynton

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