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Constitutional Law Keyed to Maggs
Lawrence v. Texas
Citation:
539 U.S. 558 (2003)Facts
A Texas statute makes it a crime for two persons of the same sex to engage in certain intimate sexual conduct. In Houston, Texas, officers of the Harris County Police Department were dispatched to a private residence in response to a reported weapons disturbance. They entered an apartment where one of the petitioners, John Lawrence, resided. The officer observed Lawrence and another man, Tyron Garner, engaging in a sexual act. The two petitioners were arrested, held in custody overnight, and charged and convicted before a court. The petitioners were adults at the time of the alleged offense. Their conduct was in private and consensual.
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