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What are some court cases involving the 1st Amendment?

Author

Michael Henderson

Published Feb 17, 2026

What are some court cases involving the 1st Amendment?

Freedom of Speech: General

  • Schenck v. United States (1919)
  • Debs v. United States (1919)
  • Gitlow v. New York (1925)
  • Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)
  • United States v. O’Brien (1968)
  • Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
  • Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)
  • Cohen v. California (1971)

How many First Amendment court cases have there been?

The court cases include more than 870 rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts involving First Amendment freedoms from 1804 to present.

What is an example of the First Amendment being used?

One notable case example on the 1st Amendment is that of Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1 (1947). A New Jersey school authorized reimbursement by school boards for transportation to and from school, including private schools. Over 95% of the schools benefitting were parochial Catholic schools.

When was the First Amendment used in Court?

It was adopted into the Bill of Rights in 1791. The Supreme Court interprets the extent of the protection afforded to these rights. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Court as applying to the entire federal government even though it is only expressly applicable to Congress.

What are three examples of freedom of speech?

Freedom of speech includes the right:

  • Not to speak (specifically, the right not to salute the flag).
  • Of students to wear black armbands to school to protest a war (“Students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.”).
  • To use certain offensive words and phrases to convey political messages.

What are contemporary cases?

1 belonging to the same age; living or occurring in the same period of time. 2 existing or occurring at the present time.

Who won US v Alvarez?

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed with Alvarez and reversed his conviction, declaring the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional in a vote of 2-to-1.

What are two current court cases relating to amendment 1?

Activities

  • Cox v. New Hampshire. Protests and freedom to assemble.
  • Elonis v. U.S. Facebook and free speech.
  • Engel v. Vitale. Prayer in schools and freedom of religion.
  • Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. Student newspapers and free speech.
  • Morse v. Frederick.
  • Snyder v. Phelps.
  • Texas v. Johnson.
  • Tinker v. Des Moines.

What is a violation of the 1st Amendment?

Certain categories of speech are completely unprotected by the First Amendment. That list includes (i) child pornography, (ii) obscenity, and (iii) “fighting words” or “true threats.”

How is the 1st Amendment used today?

Thus, the First Amendment now covers actions by federal, state, and local governments. The First Amendment also applies to all branches of government, including legislatures, courts, juries, and executive officials and agencies. This includes public employers, public university systems, and public school systems.

What are 2 current court cases relating to the First Amendment?

What cases require the Court of original jurisdiction?

The categories of cases falling under the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction are: Controversies between two or more states; All actions or proceedings to which ambassadors, other public ministers, consuls, or vice consuls of foreign states are parties; All controversies between the United States and a state; and All actions or proceedings by a state against the citizens of another state or against aliens.

What are some court cases involving the 15th Amendment?

United States v. Reese, 92 U.S. 214 (1876), was a voting rights case in which the United States Supreme Court narrowly construed the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which provide that suffrage for citizens can not be restricted due to race, color or the individual having previously been a slave.

What is a violation of the First Amendment?

Generally, the most common constitutional claims alleged are (1) violations of students’ First Amendment rights to freedom of expression; (2) violations of students’ First Amendment rights to freely practice their religion; or (3) violations of parents’ 14th Amendment liberty interests in rearing their children.

What is the First Amendment law?

First Amendment. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.