HOME > First Amendment Library > Case   Bradfield v. Roberts (docket #: 76) (1899)  [Findlaw] Argument Date 10/27/1899 Decided 12/4/1899 Supreme Court Vote 9-0 Supreme Court Ruling Establishment Clause claim denied; Justice Peckham stated that "a law respecting a religious establishment" is not necessarily a "law establishing religion."   Issue Whether a citizen and taxpayer can sue to enjoin financial support by the commissioners of Washington, D.C. to Providence Hospital, a religious establishment, under the Establishment Clause. Majority Opinion Peckham, J. Lower Court Distict of Columbia Court of Appeals Lower Court Ruling Establishment Clause claim upheld. Lawyers For Petitioner Joseph Bradfield For Respondent Assistant Attorney General Hoyt and Attorney General Griggs Ruling - Lower Court 12 App. D. C. 453 News "Aims to Tie Up Funds: An Injunction Suit Affecting Catholic Institutions," The Washington Post, June 3, 1899, p. 12 "Anti-Catholic Suit Fails: Decision of United States Supreme Court as to an Appropriation," The New York Times, Dec. 5, 1899, p. 6 "Hearing Set for Bradfield's Protest," The Washington Post, Dec. 12, 1987, p. 2 "Hospital Case in Court," The Washington Post, Dec. 17, 1897, p. 1 "May Pay the Hospital: Congress and the Commissioners Sustained," The Washington Post, April 5, 1898 "Misuse of Federal Money: Its Appropriation for a Sectarian Hospital is Unconstitutional," The New York Times, Feb. 4, 1898, p. 3 "Providence Hospital Case Appealed," The Washington Post, April 6, 1898, p. 7 "Treasurer Roberts to Show Cause," The Washington Post, Nov. 23, 1897, p. 2 Other Chemerinsky, Erwin, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (3rd Ed.) (2006), p. 1245 Commentary Bradfield, Joseph, "Law in the Hospital Case: President Madison's Attitude Regarding Sectarian Appropriations Recalled," The Washington Post, Sept. 2, 1897 Books Witte, John Jr., RELIGION AND THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERIMENT (2006), p. 107, 171  SEARCH MORE About this site About the First Amendment About the First Amendment Center How to contribute Video/RSS/podcasts First Amendment programs State of the First Amendment reports Religious liberty in public schools First Reports Supreme Court Columnists Experts First Amendment publications First Amendment Center history Glossary Freedom Sings™ Events First Amendment Schools Congressional Research Service reports Guest editorials FOI material The First Amendment Library Lesson plans freedomforum.org Newseum Contact us Privacy statement Related links