Texas v. Johnson
United States Supreme Court
491 U.S. 397 (1989)
Relevant factsFree
Johnson (defendant) burned an American flag during a political protest at the 1984 Republican National Convention and was convicted under a Texas statute prohibiting desecration of a venerated object; the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed, treating the conduct as protected symbolic speech.
IssueFree
Whether a state statute criminalizing the burning of an American flag as a means of political protest violates the First Amendment.