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Edwards v. South Carolina
187 black students were convicted for peacefully assembling at the South Carolina State Government. The students were convicted of breach of the peace. Their purpose was to submit a protest of grievances to the citizens of South Carolina. During the peaceful demonstration the police arrested the students after they did not obey an order to disperse. The students contended there was a complete absence of any evidence of the commission of the offense and they were thus denied due process of law. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
Students in Des Moines held a meeting in the home of 16-year-old Christopher Eckhardt to plan a public showing of their support for a truce in the Vietnam war. They decided to wear black armbands throughout the holiday season. Principles of Des Moines schools fond out they had created a ban on the armbands. Beth Tinker, John Tinker, and Christopher Eckhardt had been sent home for wearing the armbands. Parents sued the schools for violation of students rights of expression. Case was dismissed. -
Boyle v. Landry
African American residents of Chicago, sought declaratory and injunctive relief against Officials of Cook County and Chicago for the enforcement of Illinois Statutes and Chicago ordinances prohibiting mob action, resisting arrest, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and intimidation. Plaintiffs contended that the officials violated Plaintiffs' First Amendment right to free speech by threatening enforcement of the statutes for the sole purpose of harassing and intimidating Plaintiffs. -
Samuels v. Mackell
George Samuels and several other defendants were indicted in state court on criminal anarchy charges, in violation of New York state law. The defendants filed for an injunction in federal court to prevent continuation of their case. They argued that the New York laws violated due process, First Amendment freedoms, and equal protection. The district court found the laws constitutional and refused to grant the injunction. The U.S. Supreme Court heard this case on direct appeal. -
Younger v. Harris
California's Criminal Syndicalism Act prohibited advocating, teaching, or aiding the commission of a crime or unlawful acts of violence or terrorism. John Harris, a socialist, was indicted under the statute. Harris claimed the law had a "chilling effect" on his freedom of speech. After a California state court upheld Harris' conviction, a federal district court struck down the Act because of vagueness and overbreadth. -
California Motor Transport Co. v. Trucking Unlimited
One group of trucking companies sued another after defendants instituted state and federal proceedings to defeat applications for operating rights by the plaintiff companies. The Court reversed the district court’s dismissal of the case. Held: First Amendment rights are not immunized from regulation when they are used as an integral part of conduct violative of the antitrust laws. (This decision articulates the “sham” exception to the Noerr-Pennington doctrine.) -
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
A public school principle had removed 2 student articles from the school newspaper, "Spectrum", produced by the journalism class. The 2 articles had been written about teen pregnancy and divorce. The 2 students had sued the school for violation their 1st amendment rights. The U.S. Court District for the Eastern District of Missouri found no violation. The students appealed the the Eight Circuit Court. The court viewed it in their favor. The case was asked to be viewed by the school district. -
Morse v. Frederick
A public school student had been suspended for displaying a banner promoting drug use. Yearly the public school attends a sponsored running event. Joseph Frederick, senior, with the help of others help up a sign reading "BONG HITS 4 JESUS". Principle Morse confiscated the banner and suspended Frederick. The principle and school had been sued for violating his rights. U.S. district voted in rule of the school because there had been no violation of the 1st Amendment. -
U.S. v. Alvarez
Xavier Alvarez was invited to speak at a joint meeting with the Walnut Valley Water District Board. He stated that he was a retired marine of 25 years. He had also informed them that he had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. What Alvarez had said had completely been a lie. Arrested, Alvarez had appealed to the U.S. Court. It reasoned that the Supreme Court had never held that the government may prohibit speech simply because it is knowingly false. -
Snyder v. Phelps
Family of deceased Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder filed a lawsuit against members of the Westboro Baptist Church who picketed at his funeral. They accused the church of invasion of privacy and the intentional infliction of emotional distress for displaying signs saying, "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Fag troops" at Snyder's funeral. U.S. District awarded them $5 million in damages. U.S. Court held that the judgment violated the First Amendment's protections on religious expression.
