Peyote vs. the State - by Garrett Epps (Paperback)

About the Book

This in-depth look at the controversial Supreme Court religious freedom case--regarding a Klamath Indian fired from his job for ingesting peyote as part of a Native American religious ceremony--vividly recreates the intense personal and legal drama surrounding the decision, as well as the fierce backlash from religious groups across the nation. Photos.

Book Synopsis

The story of the constitutional showdown over Native Americans' religious use of peyote

With the grace of a novel, this book chronicles the six-year duel between two remarkable men with different visions of religious freedom in America. Neither sought the conflict. Al Smith, a substance-abuse counselor to Native Americans, wanted only to earn a living. Dave Frohnmayer, the attorney general of Oregon, was planning his gubernatorial campaign and seeking care for his desperately ill daughters. But before this constitutional confrontation was over, Frohnmayer and Smith twice asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether the First Amendment protects the right of American Indians to seek and worship God through the use of peyote. The Court finally said no.

Garrett Epps tracks the landmark case from the humblest hearing room to the Supreme Court chamber--and beyond. This paperback edition includes a new epilogue by the author that explores a retreat from the ruling since it was handed down in 1990. Weaving fascinating legal narrative with personal drama, Peyote vs. the State offers a riveting look at how justice works--and sometimes doesn't--in America today.

Review Quotes

"In a class with "Gideon's Trumpet" and" A Civil Action,.".In this compelling narrative, Garrett Epps does more than chronicle the most important religious freedom case of the last decade. He vividly brings to life the people who, often without realizing what they were doing, created a landmark case."--David Ignatius, "Washington Post "columnist and author of "The Sun King"
""To an Unknown God "is dramatic, suspenseful, humane, and funny-- all the while managing to be highly informative about important principles of the law."--James Fallows, National Correspondent for "The Atlantic Monthly"
"Before Garrett Epps was a lawyer, he was a novelist. He draws on both disciplines in this thought provoking and moving account of the human drama of two families caught up in one of the most important constitutional cases of our time."--Walter Dellinger, Douglas B. Maggs Professor of Law, Duke University


"In a class with "Gideon's Trumpet and" A Civil Action...In this compelling narrative, Garrett Epps does more than chronicle the most important religious freedom case of the last decade. He vividly brings to life the people who, often without realizing what they were doing, created a landmark case."--David Ignatius, "Washington Post columnist and author of "The Sun King
""To an Unknown God is dramatic, suspenseful, humane, and funny-- all the while managing to be highly informative about important principles of the law."--James Fallows, National Correspondent for "The Atlantic Monthly
"Before Garrett Epps was a lawyer, he was a novelist. He draws on both disciplines in this thought provoking and moving account of the human drama of two families caught up in one of the most important constitutional cases of our time."--Walter Dellinger, Douglas B. Maggs Professor of Law, Duke University