- Marsh v. Chambers
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Marsh v. Chambers
Supreme Court of the United StatesArgued April 20, 1983
Decided July 5, 1983Full case name Frank Marsh, State Treasurer et al. v. Ernest Chambers Citations 463 U.S. 783 (more)
103 S.Ct. 3330, 77 L.Ed.2d 1019Prior history Injunction granted, 504 F.Supp. 585 (D. Neb. 1980); injunction was affirmed and expounded upon, 675 F.2d 228 (8th Cir. 1982); certiorari granted, 459 U.S. 966 (1982) Holding The practice of hiring a chaplain for the Nebraska state legislature did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Court membership Chief Justice
Warren E. BurgerAssociate Justices
William J. Brennan, Jr. · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. · William Rehnquist
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'ConnorCase opinions Majority Burger, joined by White, Blackmun, Powell, Rehnquist, O'Connor Dissent Brennan, joined by Marshall Dissent Stevens Laws applied U.S. Const. amend. I Marsh v. Chambers, 463 U.S. 783 (1983)[1], was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that government funding for chaplains was constitutional because of the "unique history" of the United States. Three days before the ratification of the 1st Amendment, containing the Establishment clause, the federal legislature authorized hiring a chaplain for opening sessions with prayer.
Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers sued in federal court claiming that the legislature's practice of opening sessions with a prayer offered by a state-supported chaplain was in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The district court held that the prayer did not violate the Constitution, but that state support for the chaplain did. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals held that both practices violated the Constitution.
See also
External links
Categories:- United States Supreme Court cases
- United States First Amendment case law
- United States church-state separation case law
- 1983 in United States case law
- 1983 in religion
- United States Supreme Court stubs
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