Alfred Leo Smith

E77779

Alfred Leo Smith was a Native American man whose denial of unemployment benefits for using peyote in a religious ceremony led to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Employment Division v. Smith, reshaping constitutional law on religious freedom.


Statements (25)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Native American
human
religious freedom litigant
associatedWithConcept free exercise clause
religious freedom in the United States
use of sacramental peyote
causeOfLegalChange narrowing of constitutional protections for religious exemptions
citizenship United States of America
countryOfLegalCase United States of America
ethnicity Native American
hasRoleInEvent plaintiff in Employment Division v. Smith
implicatedConstitutionalProvision First Amendment to the United States Constitution
implicatedLegalDoctrine neutral laws of general applicability doctrine
indirectlyLedTo passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993
involvedIn controversy over free exercise of religion under the First Amendment
jurisdictionOfCase Supreme Court of the United States
legalCaseOutcomeEffect reshaping U.S. constitutional law on religious freedom
legalCaseType unemployment benefits and religious exercise case
legalIssue denial of unemployment benefits for religious peyote use
notableFor being a central figure in the U.S. Supreme Court case Employment Division v. Smith
partyTo Employment Division v. Smith
religiousContext Native American religious ceremony involving peyote
religiousPractice use of peyote in religious ceremonies
subjectOf discussions of limits of religious exemptions from neutral laws
legal scholarship on Employment Division v. Smith

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Employment Division v. Smith
hasRespondent

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