First Amendment Cases

  • John Peter Zenger case

    John Peter Zenger case
    John Peter Zenger was a journalist who printed a publication of the New York weekly journal, which harshly pointed out the actions of the corrupt governor, William s. Cosby. He was sent to jail by the governor for ten months. Eventually, the court ruled him not guilty because his actions were protected under the constitution and the First Amendment.
  • Schenck v. United States

    Schenck v. United States
    Oliver Wendell Holmes falsely shouted "fire!' in a theater to test whether his freedom of speech was protected under the First Amendment. This incident resulted in Congress deciding that if anyone's freedom of speech clearly illustrated danger to the public or others that they had the right to strip them of their freedom of speech.
  • Whitney v. California

    Whitney v. California
    Anita Whitney was being found guilty under California's 1919 Criminal Syndicalism Act for allegedly helping a Communist Party overthrow the government
  • Stanley v. Georgia

    Stanley v. Georgia
    Stanley v. Georgia was a United States Supreme Court decision that helped to establish an implied right to privacy in u.s law in the form of mere possession of obscene material. The conviction was over turned because his rights to privacy and private thoughts.
  • Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District

    Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
    The students pf this school were expelled due to wearing black armbands in school to symbolize protest of the Vietnam War. This resulted in the controversy that the First Amendment is supposed to protect public school students and their rights to express political and social views.
  • Stone v. Graham

    Stone v. Graham
    Stone v. Graham was a unconstitutional and in violation of the first Amendment because it lacked nonreligious and legislative purpose. The Statute required the posting of a copy of the Ten Amendments.
  • Loewen v. turnipseed

    Loewen v. turnipseed
    The Mississippi textbook purchasing board refused to approve Mississippi. Conflict arose and Mississippi Public schools started to say that the company was too concerned with racial views. The authors were stripped from their constitutional right of freedom of speech and press.
  • Board of Education v. Pico

    Board of Education v. Pico
    This was a case in which the United States Supreme Court split on the First Amendment issue of a local school board removing library books from junior high school and high schools.
  • Interactive Digital Software Association

    Interactive Digital Software Association
    St. Louis County passed a ordinance banning the sale of violent video games to minors without parental consent. Video game dealers sued to overturn the law and the court eventually found the ordinance unconstitutional because holding depictions of violence alone cannot fall within the legal definition of obscenity of minors neither adults
  • Morse v. Frederick

    Morse v. Frederick
    At a school Frederick held up a sign that stated "Bong hits for Jesus" and he got suspended for ten days by Morse, the principal. Frederick complained that this was a violation of his First Amendment rights, freedom of speech, but the court was in favor of the principal.