King v. Smith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

King v. Smith

Argued April 23, 1968
Decided June 17, 1968

Full case name:	King, Commissioner, Department of Pensions and Security, et al. v. Smith et al.

Citations:	392 U.S. 309; 88 S. Ct. 2128; 20 L. Ed. 2d 1118

Holding

Aid to Families with Dependent Children cannot be denied to families of qualifying children based on a substitute father.

Court membership

Chief Justice: Earl Warren
Associate Justices: Hugo Black, William O. Douglas, John Marshall Harlan II, William J. Brennan, Jr., Potter Stewart, Byron White, Abe Fortas, Thurgood Marshall

Case opinions

Majority by: Warren
Joined by: Black, Harlan II., Brennan, Stewart, White, Fortas, Marshall
Concurrence by: Douglas

King v. Smith, 392 U.S. 309 (1968), found that Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) could not be denied to Mrs. Sylvester Smith, who was having a sexual affair with a Mr. Williams.

Smith - inhabiting in Alabama - had four children, without a biological father providing support. Thus, she qualified for AFDC. However, Williams, who visited on weekends, was counted as a 'substitute father', thus disqualifying the aid. The ruling verified that the term 'father' did not include substitute fathers, and was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court.