In McGowan v. Maryland, the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of Maryland’s Sunday closing laws. Several employees at a department store were convicted of violating the laws and appealed their convictions on the grounds that the laws violated both the Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause. The Court first found that the employees did not have standing to bring the Free Exercise claim because they did not specifically state how the law burdened their ability to exercise their religion. Regarding the Establishment Clause claim, the Court found that, while the original purpose of Sunday closing laws was to promote a day of rest consistent with the Christian religion, modern statutes are driven by the more secular concern of providing a uniform day of rest for all citizens. The choice of Sunday, a day of significance to most Christian sects, did not prevent the state from achieving its secular goal of providing for the public welfare.
Opens in a new window