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Torcaso v. Watkins, 367 U.S. 488 (1961)
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General SummaryThis case is from a collection containing the full text of over 16,000 Supreme Court cases from 1793 to the present. The body of Supreme Court decisions are, effectively, the final interpretation of the Constitution. Only an amendment to the Constitution can permanently overturn an interpretation and this has happened only four times in American history.
Torcaso v. Watkins, 367 U.S. 488 (1961)
Torcaso v. Watkins No. 373 Argued April 24, 1961 Decided June 19, 1961 367 U.S. 488
APPEAL FOM THE COURT OF APPEALS OF MARYLAND
Syllabus
Appellant was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to the office of Notary Public, but he was denied a commission because he would not declare his belief in God, as required by the Maryland Constitution. Claiming that this requirement violated his rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, he sued in a state court to compel issuance of his commission, but relief was denied. The State Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the state constitutional provision is self-executing, without need for implementing legislation, and requires declaration of a belief in God as a qualification for office. Held: This Maryland test for public office cannot be enforced against appellant, because it unconstitutionally invades his freedom of belief and religion guaranteed by the First Amendment and protected by the Fourteenth Amendment from infringement by the States. Pp. 489-496.
223 Md. 49, 162 A.2d 438, reversed.
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Chicago: U.S. Supreme Court, "Syllabus," Torcaso v. Watkins, 367 U.S. 488 (1961) in 367 U.S. 488 367 U.S. 489. Original Sources, accessed November 24, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=BRN4D9LE4NWT1GH.
MLA: U.S. Supreme Court. "Syllabus." Torcaso v. Watkins, 367 U.S. 488 (1961), in 367 U.S. 488, page 367 U.S. 489. Original Sources. 24 Nov. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=BRN4D9LE4NWT1GH.
Harvard: U.S. Supreme Court, 'Syllabus' in Torcaso v. Watkins, 367 U.S. 488 (1961). cited in 1961, 367 U.S. 488, pp.367 U.S. 489. Original Sources, retrieved 24 November 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=BRN4D9LE4NWT1GH.
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