{"argument_date":"2005-11-01T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2005-11-01T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2005","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","paragraphs":["The government argued the lower court wrongly created an exception to the law.","The church argued the government's position conflicts with religious freedom statutes.","questions_asked_by_justices"],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 19-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 19-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 45-54","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 45-54"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 21-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 3-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 3-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 41-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 41-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 37-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 37-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 3-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 3-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 43-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 43-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 25-52","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 25-52"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 19-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 19-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 41-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 41-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 49-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 33-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 33-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 1-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 1-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 35-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 35-47"}]}],"caption":"Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao Do Vegetal","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:29.103488Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:29.130529Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The government argues the law bans all Schedule 1 drugs. The church argues the law must allow religious exceptions.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 19-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 19-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 3-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 3-3"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2005-11-01T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2005","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/04-1084.html","primary_docket":"04-1084","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T14:13:15.540867Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["The government seeks to uphold a total ban on a specific drug. The church seeks a legal exception for its religious use."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 19-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 19-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 3-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 3-3"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on November 1, 2005."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 25-52","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 25-52"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The government wants the Court to uphold the total ban on the drug.","The church wants the Court to allow its religious use of the drug."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 19-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 19-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 3-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 3-3"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The government argues the law categorically prohibits the substance without exceptions.","The church argues the law must accommodate its specific religious practice."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 19-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 19-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 3-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 3-3"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Ginsburg asked if the government acted uniformly regarding peyote exemptions.","Justice Scalia noted that making an exception did not cause negative consequences."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 45-54","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 45-54"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 21-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 3-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 3-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 41-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 41-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 37-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 37-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 43-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 43-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 25-52","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 25-52"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 19-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 19-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 41-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 41-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 49-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 33-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 33-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 1-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 1-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 35-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 35-47"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the balance between federal drug laws and religious freedom. It determines whether a total ban can override specific religious practices."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 19-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 19-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 3-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 3-3"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 45-54","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 45-54"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 21-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 3-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 3-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 41-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 41-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 37-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 37-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 43-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 43-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 25-52","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 25-52"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 19-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 19-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 41-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 41-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 49-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 33-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 33-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 1-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 1-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 35-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 35-47"}]}],"slug":"2005-04-1084-gonzales-v-o-centro-espirita-beneficiente-uniao-do-vegetal","term":"2005","title":"Does the Controlled Substances Act override religious freedom claims?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 19-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 19-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 3-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/04-1084.pdf","page_label":"file page 56, lines 3-3"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}