Teaching+About+Landmark+Supreme+Court+Decisions

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 * \Constitutional Rights Foundation--law related education.**
 * Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Decisions--this is the publication.

First Amendment--key phrases today:
 * Congress shall make no law
 * in the legal world, "shall" means "it has to be"--this is absolute. Congress is forbidden....
 * So absolutist language in the First Amendment.
 * Freedom of speech
 * Important in many senses--political speech; communication from society to government and vice versa; free flow of information in society; democratic society, and not a tyranny;
 * Watchdog on government (press)--people can criticize their government, and stop a tyranny from forming.
 * Free exchange of ideas in a democracy
 * Discovery of truth in all areas--political speech, religion, science
 * Personal development--outlet to express oneself, artistically, creatively, politically
 * "Safety valve"--if free speech is controlled by gov., then it could lead to an eruption; so safety valve needed to allow expression.
 * Fourteenth Amendment also protects free speech; incorporated the First Amendment over time (state governments can not prohibit free speech as well)

__**Texas v. Johnson**__ Flag burning case. As the case is read, consider: __**Moot Court Activity:**__ Damon Huss damon@crf-usa.org
 * 1) Exceptions to the right of free speech
 * 2) Clear and Present Danger Doctrine
 * 3) Fighting words
 * 4) Expressive conduct exception--not always verbal speech; controlling case in __Johnson__ decision.
 * 5) Obscenity
 * 6) Libel or slander
 * 7) The facts of the case Texas v. Johnson
 * 8) Summary of facts---1984. Johnson burning a flag in Texas, in protest of Ronald Reagan at the Republican National Convention. There was a law n Texas against the burning of the American Flag.
 * 9) The differing opinions in the case.
 * 10) 5-4 majority in favor of Johnson--including the very conservative Justice Scalia. Flag burning was allowed based on this decision.
 * 1) Take on one of four roles
 * 2) Attorney for the State of Texas
 * 3) Attorney for Johnson--arguing law is not constitutional.
 * 4) Supreme Court Justice
 * 5) Supreme Court Justice
 * __Procedure__**
 * 1) Students for each role meet in groups to discuss their arguments**__.__**
 * 2) Hearing (from the big groups, one member from each group will make smaller groups to argue the case)
 * 3) Justices will conduct the hearing.
 * 4) Attorney's for the state will speak first (challenging the lower court decision).
 * 5) The justice may ask questions at any time.
 * 6) At the end, the justice should withhold any opinion about the case.
 * 7) Justices
 * 8) Think about the arguments.
 * 9) Decide the case: Does the Texas Law against flag burning violate the First Amendment?
 * 10) Give reasons for your decision.