Gooding v. Wilson
United States Supreme Court
405 U.S. 518 (1972)
Relevant factsFree
Wilson (defendant) was convicted under a Georgia statute criminalizing "opprobrious words and abusive language" directed at police officers; the federal district court set aside his conviction as unconstitutionally vague/overbroad, and the court of appeals affirmed, prompting Georgia's appeal.
IssueFree
Whether a state statute prohibiting "opprobrious words and abusive language" is constitutional under the "fighting words" exception to First Amendment protection.