Who won the US Supreme Court case Reynolds v US?

Answer 1

George Reynolds agreed to be the nominal plaintiff in a law suit against the federal government, challenging the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862 as a violation of the First Amendment Free Exercise Clause.

According to Reynolds, polygamy (having more than one spouse) was a religious practice sanctioned by the Church and protected under First Amendment.

In a unanimous decision, the US Supreme Court held that Congress had no right to attempt to regulate religious opinion, but prohibiting practices that violated prevailing social norms (in this case, meaning conventional Christian rules) and subverted social order was constitutional. This created an exception to the Free Exercise Clause, and demonstrated constitutional protection is not absolute.

Case Citation:

Reynolds v. United States, 98 US 145 (1878)

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Answer 2

George Reynolds, secretary to Brigham Young, and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Reynolds and the Church brought suit against the United States to challenge the constitutionality of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862, which they alleged was a violation of the First Amendment Free Exercise Clause.

Case Citation:

Reynolds v. United States, 98 US 145 (1878)

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Answer 3

The United States won, upholding the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862 that prohibited the practice of polygamy.

More Detail

George Reynolds agreed to be the nominal plaintiff in a law suit against the federal government, challenging the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862 as a violation of the First Amendment Free Exercise Clause.

According to Reynolds, polygamy (having more than one spouse) was a religious practice sanctioned by the Church and protected under First Amendment.

In a unanimous decision, the US Supreme Court held that Congress had no right to attempt to regulate religious opinion, but prohibiting practices that violated prevailing social norms (in this case, meaning conventional Christian rules) and subverted social order was constitutional. This created an exception to the Free Exercise Clause, and demonstrated constitutional protection is not absolute.

Case Citation:

Reynolds v. United States, 98 US 145 (1878)

Answer 4

There was no dissenting opinion written for Reynolds v. US because the decision was unanimous (9-0). Chief Justice Morrison Waite wrote the opinion of the Court.

Case Citation:

Reynolds v. United States, 98 US 145 (1878)

For more information, see Related Questions, below.