Brandenburg v Ohio
Content
Matias, Marvin A.
International Legal Writing
10787437 marvin matias.!h
Atty. John A. Boyd
BRANDENBURG v. OHIO 395 U.S. 444 - (1969) Procedure and Facts The appellant, a leader of the Ku Klux Klan, was and fourteenth a&end&ent.1 +The ( t pun"shes persons who ,ad!o ate or tea h the dut', ne ess"t', or propr"et'$ of !"olen e ,as a &eans of a o&pl"sh"n) "ndustr"al or pol"t" al refor&$- or who pu*l"sh or "r ulate or d"spla' an' *oo. or paper onta"n"n) su h ad!o a '- or who ,/ust"f'$ the o&&"ss"on of !"olent a ts ,w"th "ntent to exe&pl"f', spread or ad!o ate the propr"et' of the do tr"nes of r"&"nal s'nd" al"s&$- or who ,!oluntar"l' asse&*le$ w"th a )roup r"&"nal s'nd" al"s&.$ 0e"ther the for&ed ,to tea h or ad!o ate the do tr"nes of on!" ted of #h"o$s %r"&"nal S'nd" al"s& ( t. The
appellant la"&ed as a defen e that the sa"d statute !"olates h"s onst"tut"onal r")ht )"!en *' the f"rst
"nd" t&ent nor the tr"al /ud)e1s "nstru t"ons to the /ur' "n an' wa' ref"ned the statute1s *ald def"n"t"on of the r"&e 2p4493 "n ter&s of &ere ad!o a ' not d"st"n)u"shed fro& "n "te&ent to "&&"nent lawless a t"on.4 5 Legal Issue 6hether the #h"o statute +wh" h, *' "ts own words and as appl"ed, purports to pun"sh &ere ad!o a ' and to for*"d, on pa"n of r"&"nal pun"sh&ent, asse&*l' w"th others &erel' to ad!o ate the des r"*ed t'pe of a t"on43, "s un onst"tut"onal. Holding 7es. 8 !otes for 9randen*ur), : !ote(s) a)a"nst 4
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BRANDENBURG v. OHIO, 3"# $.%. 444 ,1 htt!'(())).la).*ornell.ed+(s+!*t(html(histori*s($%%,-,.-03"#-0444-/0.html 3"# $.%. 444 htt!'(())).oye1.org(*ases(1"2031"2"(1"28(1"28-4"&
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Matias, Marvin A.
International Legal Writing
10787437 marvin matias.!h
Reasons for decision The Supre&e %ourt ruled, +the pr"n "ple that the
Atty. John A. Boyd
onst"tut"onal )uarantees of free spee h and free
press do not per&"t a State to for*"d or pros r"*e ad!o a ' of the use of for e or of law !"olat"on ex ept where su h ad!o a ' "s d"re ted to "n "t"n) or produ "n) "&&"nent lawless a t"on and "s l".el' to "n "te or produ e su h a t"on.45 ;ust" e <ou)las has on urred w"th the de "s"on *ut )a!e a caveat.6 =e ar)ues that the + lear and
present dan)er4 test has *een appl"ed "n the past "s d"s on ert"n). >"rst, the threats to wh" h "t was appl"ed were often loud *ut pun'. Se ond, the test was so per!erted as to &a.e tr"al of those tea hers of ?arx"s& all out pol"t" al tr"als, wh" h had the effe t of erod"n) su*stant"al parts of the >"rst (&end&ent of the %onst"tut"on. @ ;ust" e 9la . also on urred w"th the op"n"on of ;ust" e <ou)las that +the A lear and present dan)erA do tr"ne should ha!e no pla e "n the "nterpretat"on of the >"rst (&end&ent.8
Significance of the decision The rul"n) re!ersed a pre!"ous Supre&e %ourt de "s"on sett"n) a new pre edent for the A lear and present dan)erA standard "n >"rst (&end&ent ases. The %ourt now held that a person1s words were prote ted as free spee h as lon) as the' d"d not d"re tl' "n "te unlawful a t"on. 9
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Branden4+rg v. 0hio 3 %igni5i*an*e 3 8anger, ,o+rt, %tandard, ,riminal, 9est, and $nited 3 J.an6 Arti*les htt!'((la).:ran6.org(!ages(&304"(Branden4+rg3v30hio3%igni5i*an*e.html;i7111/nJ<LWhB
International Legal Writing
10787437 marvin matias.!h
Atty. John A. Boyd
BRANDENBURG v. OHIO 395 U.S. 444 - (1969) Procedure and Facts The appellant, a leader of the Ku Klux Klan, was and fourteenth a&end&ent.1 +The ( t pun"shes persons who ,ad!o ate or tea h the dut', ne ess"t', or propr"et'$ of !"olen e ,as a &eans of a o&pl"sh"n) "ndustr"al or pol"t" al refor&$- or who pu*l"sh or "r ulate or d"spla' an' *oo. or paper onta"n"n) su h ad!o a '- or who ,/ust"f'$ the o&&"ss"on of !"olent a ts ,w"th "ntent to exe&pl"f', spread or ad!o ate the propr"et' of the do tr"nes of r"&"nal s'nd" al"s&$- or who ,!oluntar"l' asse&*le$ w"th a )roup r"&"nal s'nd" al"s&.$ 0e"ther the for&ed ,to tea h or ad!o ate the do tr"nes of on!" ted of #h"o$s %r"&"nal S'nd" al"s& ( t. The
appellant la"&ed as a defen e that the sa"d statute !"olates h"s onst"tut"onal r")ht )"!en *' the f"rst
"nd" t&ent nor the tr"al /ud)e1s "nstru t"ons to the /ur' "n an' wa' ref"ned the statute1s *ald def"n"t"on of the r"&e 2p4493 "n ter&s of &ere ad!o a ' not d"st"n)u"shed fro& "n "te&ent to "&&"nent lawless a t"on.4 5 Legal Issue 6hether the #h"o statute +wh" h, *' "ts own words and as appl"ed, purports to pun"sh &ere ad!o a ' and to for*"d, on pa"n of r"&"nal pun"sh&ent, asse&*l' w"th others &erel' to ad!o ate the des r"*ed t'pe of a t"on43, "s un onst"tut"onal. Holding 7es. 8 !otes for 9randen*ur), : !ote(s) a)a"nst 4
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BRANDENBURG v. OHIO, 3"# $.%. 444 ,1 htt!'(())).la).*ornell.ed+(s+!*t(html(histori*s($%%,-,.-03"#-0444-/0.html 3"# $.%. 444 htt!'(())).oye1.org(*ases(1"2031"2"(1"28(1"28-4"&
&
3
4
Matias, Marvin A.
International Legal Writing
10787437 marvin matias.!h
Reasons for decision The Supre&e %ourt ruled, +the pr"n "ple that the
Atty. John A. Boyd
onst"tut"onal )uarantees of free spee h and free
press do not per&"t a State to for*"d or pros r"*e ad!o a ' of the use of for e or of law !"olat"on ex ept where su h ad!o a ' "s d"re ted to "n "t"n) or produ "n) "&&"nent lawless a t"on and "s l".el' to "n "te or produ e su h a t"on.45 ;ust" e <ou)las has on urred w"th the de "s"on *ut )a!e a caveat.6 =e ar)ues that the + lear and
present dan)er4 test has *een appl"ed "n the past "s d"s on ert"n). >"rst, the threats to wh" h "t was appl"ed were often loud *ut pun'. Se ond, the test was so per!erted as to &a.e tr"al of those tea hers of ?arx"s& all out pol"t" al tr"als, wh" h had the effe t of erod"n) su*stant"al parts of the >"rst (&end&ent of the %onst"tut"on. @ ;ust" e 9la . also on urred w"th the op"n"on of ;ust" e <ou)las that +the A lear and present dan)erA do tr"ne should ha!e no pla e "n the "nterpretat"on of the >"rst (&end&ent.8
Significance of the decision The rul"n) re!ersed a pre!"ous Supre&e %ourt de "s"on sett"n) a new pre edent for the A lear and present dan)erA standard "n >"rst (&end&ent ases. The %ourt now held that a person1s words were prote ted as free spee h as lon) as the' d"d not d"re tl' "n "te unlawful a t"on. 9
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3"# $.%. 444 htt!'(())).la).*ornell.ed+(s+!*t(html(histori*s($%%,-,.-03"#-0444-/,1.html
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htt!'(())).*ase4rie5s.*om(4log(la)(*onstit+tional3la)(*onstit+tional3la)36eyed3to3stone(5reedom3o53 e7!ression(4randen4+rg3v3ohio3&(&(
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htt!'(())).la).*ornell.ed+(s+!*t(html(histori*s($%%,-,.-03"#-0444-/,.html
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Branden4+rg v. 0hio 3 %igni5i*an*e 3 8anger, ,o+rt, %tandard, ,riminal, 9est, and $nited 3 J.an6 Arti*les htt!'((la).:ran6.org(!ages(&304"(Branden4+rg3v30hio3%igni5i*an*e.html;i7111/nJ<LWhB
