Dickinson v. United States
Encyclopedia
Dickinson v. United States, 346 U.S. 389 (1953), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States
held there was no basis for denying petitioner's (a Jehovah's Witness) claim to ministerial exemption from military service, and his conviction for refusing to submit to his local board's induction order was reversed.
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The Court ruled that classification as minister is not available to all members of a sect notwithstanding doctrine that all are ministers; but part-time secular work does not, without more, disqualify member from satisfying the ministerial exemption.
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
held there was no basis for denying petitioner's (a Jehovah's Witness) claim to ministerial exemption from military service, and his conviction for refusing to submit to his local board's induction order was reversed.
Decision of the Court
Justice ClarkTom C. Clark
Thomas Campbell Clark was United States Attorney General from 1945 to 1949 and an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States .- Early life and career :...
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The Court ruled that classification as minister is not available to all members of a sect notwithstanding doctrine that all are ministers; but part-time secular work does not, without more, disqualify member from satisfying the ministerial exemption.