Facts of the Case Clarence Brandenburg, a leader of the Ku Klux Klan in Ohio, was convicted under the state’s criminal syndicalism law after giving a speech at a Klan rally. In his speech, Brandenburg made derogatory statements about minorities and suggested that “revengeance” might be necessary if the government continued to suppress the white […]
Tag: free speech
Cohen v. California (1971)
Facts of the Case In 1968, Paul Robert Cohen was arrested in the Los Angeles County Courthouse for wearing a jacket emblazoned with the words “F*** the Draft” to protest the Vietnam War. He was charged under a California law that prohibited “maliciously and willfully disturbing the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or person […]
United States v. O’Brien (1968)
United States v. O’Brien, Supreme Court, 1968 Facts of the Case David Paul O’Brien burned his Selective Service registration card (draft card) on the steps of a Boston courthouse to protest the Vietnam War. He was arrested and convicted under a federal law that made it a crime to knowingly destroy or mutilate a draft […]
Supreme Court Overturns Injunction Limiting Contact Between Government Officials & Social Media Companies
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday threw out claims that the Biden administration unlawfully coerced social media companies into removing contentious content. In reaching its conclusion, the court overturned an injunction that would have limited contacts between government officials and social media companies on a wide range of issues if allowed to go into […]
Schenck v. United States
Schenck v. United States, Supreme Court, 1919 Facts of the Case During World War I, Charles Schenck, the General Secretary of the Socialist Party, distributed leaflets urging resistance to the draft. The leaflets argued that the draft violated the Thirteenth Amendment’s prohibition against involuntary servitude and encouraged draftees to petition for the repeal of the […]
Bantam Books, Inc. v. Sullivan, Supreme Court, 1963
Bantam Books, Inc. v. Sullivan, Supreme Court, 1963 Facts of the Case The Rhode Island Commission to Encourage Morality in Youth was established to review and classify books and other publications it considered “objectionable” for sale to youth. The commission sent notices to booksellers, informing them that certain publications were deemed objectionable and requesting their […]