Under what circumstances have the courts allowed symbolic speech to be regulated?
Main content Show Among other cherished values, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech. The U.S. Supreme Court often has struggled to determine what exactly constitutes protected speech. The following are examples of speech, both direct (words) and symbolic (actions), that the Court has decided are either entitled to First Amendment protections, or not. The First Amendment states, in relevant part, that: “Congress shall make no law...abridging freedom of speech.” Freedom of speech includes the right:
Freedom of speech does not include the right:
Disclaimer: These resources are created by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for use in educational activities only. They may not reflect the current state of the law, and are not intended to provide legal advice, guidance on litigation, or commentary on legislation. DISCLAIMER: These resources are created by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for educational purposes only. They may not reflect the current state of the law, and are not intended to provide legal advice, guidance on litigation, or commentary on any pending case or legislation. Abstract The doctrine of symbolic speech holds that some conduct, for example flag burning, may be sufficiently communicative to warrant First Amendment protection. What conduct constitutes symbolic speech, however, has been a vexing question. Spence v. Washington established a test to guide this inquiry, requiring courts to examine the actor's intent, the likelihood of audience understanding of the message being communicated, and the context of the activity. The traditional conception of "Spence" has ostensibly focused on the actual intent of the actor and on the case-specific facts at issue. This Note argues for a new understanding of symbolic-speech jurisprudence. It contends that the actual intent of the actor is not an independently relevant factor in the "Spence" analysis and, to the extent that intent is relevant to the inquiry, it is imputed intent that matters. Furthermore, this Note argues that courts tend not to address the facts in a symbolic-speech case at the case-specific level, but rather approach the issue at a much broader level of generality. This broad inquiry entails grouping the conduct at issue together with other similar conduct and investigating the traditional social meaning of those categories of conduct. Viewed at this level of generality, the second and third "Spence" factors of audience understanding and context are largely conflated. Finally, this Note investigates the extent to which this reconceptualization of the symbolic-speech analysis can serve as a predictive model for future cases. Journal Information Founded in 1901, the Columbia Law Review is a leader in legal scholarship in the United States and around the world. The Review is an independent nonprofit corporation edited and published entirely by students at Columbia Law School. Published eight times a year, the Review is the third most widely distributed and cited law review in the country, receiving close to 1,500 submissions yearly from which approximately 25 manuscripts are chosen for publication. Publisher Information The Columbia Law Review is one of the world’s leading publications of legal scholarship. Founded in 1901, the Review is an independent nonprofit corporation that produces a law journal edited and published entirely by students at Columbia Law School. Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. What did the Supreme Court rule in symbolic speech?(5-4) The majority of the Court, according to Justice William Brennan, agreed with Johnson and held that flag burning constitutes a form of "symbolic speech" that is protected by the First Amendment.
What Court case protected symbolic speech even if offensive?Facts and case summary for Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989) Flag burning constitutes symbolic speech that is protected by the First Amendment.
Which speech can be regulated by the government?Paul, 505 U.S. 377, 382-86 (1992). The Court generally identifies these categories as obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement, fighting words, true threats, speech integral to criminal conduct, and child pornography.
What is an example of symbolic speech not protected?Defining symbolic speech
Demonstrations. Wearing buttons, armbands or other clothing items (such as t-shirts) that deliver a protest or other specific message. Nudity.
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