Texas v. Johnson - Significance, Flag Burning: Protected Expression Or Desecration?, Further Readings

william petitioner united gregory

Petitioner

State of Texas

Respondent

Gregory Lee Johnson

Petitioner's Claim

That the Texas statute against "desecration of venerated objects," in this instance burning an American flag, did not violate Gregory Lee Johnson's constitutional rights.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioner

Kathi Alyce Drew

Chief Lawyer for Respondent

William M. Kunstler

Justices for the Court

Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan, Jr. (writing for the Court), Anthony M. Kennedy, Thurgood Marshall, Antonin Scalia

Justices Dissenting

Sandra Day O'Connor, William H. Rehnquist, John Paul Stevens, Byron R. White

Place

Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision

21 June 1989

Decision

The Texas statute was declared unconstitutional.

Related Cases

Stromberg v. California, 283 U.S. 359 (1931).
United States v. O'Brien, 391 U.S. 367 (1968).
United States v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990).

Sources

West's Encyclopedia of American Law. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: West Publishing, 1998.

Additional Topics

Texas v. Johnson - Significance

No matter how unpopular it is to burn an American flag, the First Amendment protects that and other forms of political expression and symbolic speech. Gregory Lee Johnson, nicknamed "Joey," was a fervent supporter of an American communist movement known as the Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade. When the Republican National Convention met in Dallas, Texas in 1984, Johnson decided to participate…

Texas v. Johnson - Flag Burning: Protected Expression Or Desecration?

Political reaction quickly mounted to the Supreme Court's Texas v. Johnson decision and the striking down of the Flag Protection Act of 1989. The burning of an American flag had become a valid gesture of expressive freedom. A constitutional amendment prohibiting the desecration of the U.S. flag was introduced in Congress in 1995, and reintroduced again in 1997. Amendment proponents led by the Citi…

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User Comments

over 1 year ago

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over 1 year ago

alright idk what did it get hurt from the people just cause he burnt the flag ok he burned it and what ? NOTHIN GHAPPEND so i think there was no fuckin biggy about this thingy

almost 2 years ago

bbob

guys, maybe you should read up on this some more. there's plenty out there :)

about 2 years ago

Charlie Daker

WoW i can not believe this happened. Flag burning is so cruel

about 2 years ago

charlie daker

wow

over 2 years ago

I mean , like really i dont understand what the case was about in my opinion. Because what does hter flag have to do about the first amendment

about 3 years ago

sydney .

johnson burnt the US flag ; but he claims that this action was protected by the firt amendment . the prosecutor says that it is against the texas law .

almost 4 years ago

anna h

what was the main question of the case?

what is the significance of the case on our society?

about 4 years ago

jessenia m

why did he burn the flag?