Constitutional Law Keyed to Stone
Cohen v. California
Facts
On April 26, 1968, the Appellant was observed in the Los Angeles County Courthouse, in the corridor outside the municipal court, wearing a jacket bearing the words “Fuck the Draft.” At the time, there were women and children present in the area. After the Appellant was arrested, he testified that he wore the jacket as a means of informing the public of the depth of his feelings against the Vietnam War and the draft. The Appellant did not engage in, or threaten to engage in, nor did anyone as the result of his conduct in fact commit or threaten to commit any act of violence. The Appellant did not make any loud or unusual noise, nor was there any evidence that he uttered any sound prior to his arrest.
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