Marsh v. Chambers
| Marsh v. Chambers | |
|---|---|
| Argued April 20, 1983 Decided July 5, 1983 | |
| Full 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 1019; 1983 U.S. LEXIS 107 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Injunction granted, 504 F. Supp. 585 (D. Neb. 1980); injunction was affirmed and expounded upon, 675 F.2d 228 (8th Cir. 1982); cert. 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 | |
| |
| Case 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), was a landmark court 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 First Amendment in 1791, containing the Establishment Clause, the federal legislature authorized hiring a chaplain for opening sessions with prayer.