Texas v. Johnson
1989
Case Summary:
Issue:
Relevant Vocabulary:
Criminal Law: This violation was in the criminal aspect instead of civil, where Johnson not only got fined but had to go to jail for.
Symbolic Speech: This is protected under the first amendment which allowed Johnson to burn the flag as a representation of symbolism.
Trial of Court: The case began with the court that had original jurisdiction of the case and later on traveled to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and up to the Supreme Court.
Rule of 4: 4 of more of the justices agreed to hear the Texas v. Johnson case and ranted cert.
Precedent:
Significance:
The case created a precedent and made the expression of speech more defined and allowed symbolic speech to be constitutional. It was one of the first cases that questioned the federal government and first amendment when it came to the desecration of the American Flag.
Future Significance:
Today the case still has the set precedent that allows symbolic speech. People go to extremes using symbolism that is widely offensive to many yet still constitutional. The future it will be decided how far is too far.