Morse v. Frederick, 551 U.S. 393; 127 S. Ct. 2618; 168 L. Ed. 2d 290 (2007) Facts—Joseph Frederick, a high school senior, was suspended after displaying a fourteen-foot banner saying “BONG HITS 4 JESUS” at an Olympic Torch Relay that…
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260; 108 S. Ct. 562; 98 L. Ed. 2d 592 (1988) Facts—Staff members of Spectrum, a high school newspaper, filed a suit against the school district and school officials alleging that the principal…
Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser, 478 U.S. 675; 106 S. Ct. 3159; 92 L. Ed. 2d 549 (1986) Facts—Fraser, a student at Bethel High School in Pierce County, Washing- ton, delivered a sexually suggestive speech in nominating a…
Snepp v. United States, 444 U.S. 507; 100 S. Ct. 763; 62 L. Ed. 2d 704 (1980) Facts—As a condition of his employment with the CIA in 1968, Frank Snepp executed an agreement promising that he would “not . .…
Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726; 98 S. Ct. 3026; 57 L. Ed. 2d 1073 (1978) Facts—A satiric humorist, George Carlin, recorded a twelve-minute monologue entitled “Filthy words” before a live audience in a California theater. He…
Feiner v. New York, 340 U.S. 315; 71 S. Ct. 303; 95 L. Ed. 295 (1951) Facts—Irving Feiner, a student at Syracuse University, addressed a street meeting of about seventy-five people, urging them to attend a meeting that night on…
Kovacs v. Cooper, 336 U.S. 77; 69 S. Ct. 448; 93 L. Ed. 513 (1949) Facts—An ordinance of Trenton, New Jersey, makes it unlawful to play, use, or operate for advertising or any other purpose on public streets, alleys, or…
Virginia v. Black, 538 U.S. 343; 123 S. Ct. 1536; 155 L. Ed. 2d 535 (2003) Facts—Virginia law provided criminal penalties for individuals who burned crosses with the intent of intimidating others and treated cross burning as prima facie evidence…
Erie v. Pap’s A.M., 529 U.S. 277; 120 S. Ct. 1382; 146 L. Ed. 2d 165 (2000) Facts—Erie, Pennsylvania, adopted a law prohibiting public nudity and therefore requiring that exotic dancers wear, at a minimum, “pasties” and a “Gstring.” The…
Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397; 109 S. Ct. 2533; 105 L. Ed. 2d 342 (1989) Facts—After he publicly burned a U.S. flag at a protest at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, the state sentenced Johnson to…