McDaniel v. Paty
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued December 5, 1977
Decided April 19, 1978
Full case nameMcDaniel v. Paty
Citations435 U.S. 618 (more)
98 S. Ct. 1322; 55 L. Ed. 2d 593
Case history
PriorPaty v. McDaniel, 547 S.W.2d 897 (Tenn. 1977); probable jurisdiction noted, 432 U.S. 905 (1977).
Holding
A state law that forbade ordained ministers from elected office is unconstitutional.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
Associate Justices
William J. Brennan Jr. · Potter Stewart
Byron White · Thurgood Marshall
Harry Blackmun · Lewis F. Powell Jr.
William Rehnquist · John P. Stevens
Case opinions
PluralityBurger, joined by Powell, Rehnquist, Stevens
ConcurrenceBrennan (in judgment), joined by Marshall
ConcurrenceStewart (in judgment)
ConcurrenceWhite (in judgment)
Blackmun took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amends. I, XIV

McDaniel v. Paty, 435 U.S. 618 (1978), was a United States Supreme Court case that struck down the last remaining state restriction against religious ministers holding elected office.

Background

Paul A. McDaniel was a Baptist minister in Chattanooga, Tennessee who gained prominence in his lifetime as an activist within the community.[1][2] He filed as a candidate to be a delegate to the 1977 Tennessee State Constitutional Convention. His opponent, Selma Cash Paty, successfully challenged his candidacy based on a state law that forbade ordained ministers from elected office.

Decision

In an 8–0 decision, the court ruled that the state law violated both the First and Fourteenth Amendments. A modified version of the statute, prohibiting "ministers of the Gospel" from serving in the Tennessee legislature, remains as Article IX, Section 1. of the Tennessee State Constitution.[3]

The Tennessee Constitutional Amendment 4, or the Remove Religious Minister Disqualification Amendment, was proposed as a measure on the November 2022 ballot to remove this restriction.[4] In accordance with state constitutional law, the proposed amendment was submitted to the state legislature in both the 2019–2020 and 2021–2022 sessions. The measure was ratified by the voters.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Chattanooga says goodbye to the Rev. Paul McDaniel in tribute to local civil rights icon, faith leader | Chattanooga Times Free Press". www.timesfreepress.com. October 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  2. ↑ WRCB Staff (August 22, 2021). "Chattanooga civil rights advocate, former county commissioner Rev. Paul McDaniel passes away". Local3News.com. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  3. ↑ Tennessee State Constitution
  4. ↑ "Tennessee Constitutional Amendment 4, Remove Religious Minister Disqualification Amendment (2022)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ Tennessee Constitutional Amendment 4, Remove Religious Minister Disqualification Amendment (2022)


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