Gregory Lee Johnson was arrested on Wednesday, August 22, 1984, for burning a flag in protest of President Reagan's "War Chest" during the Republican National Convention in Dallas.
Johnson was convicted under Texas Penal Code Ann. § 42.09(a)(3), Texas Venerated Objects Law, and sentenced to one year in prison and a $2,000 fine.
His case was eventually appealed to the US Supreme Court as Texas v. Johnson, (1989)
Case Citation:
Texas v. Johnson, 491 US 397 (1989)
For more information, see Related Questions, below.
That he burned an American flag as part of his protest. He was arrested, prosecuted and was found guilty. Johnson's flag
Gregory Lee Johnson was arrested by law enforcement officials during the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. He was charged for burning the American flag as a form of protest, which led to a significant Supreme Court case regarding free speech. The arrest was part of an effort to enforce laws against flag desecration at the time.
In 1984, Gregory Johnson was arrested and convicted for burning a flag under the Texas Venerated Objects law, fined $2,000, and sentenced to one year in jail. The state statute prohibited intentionally and knowingly desecrating a state or national flag.One year was the maximum sentence allowed for violation of this law.Case Citation:Texas v. Johnson, 491 US 397 (1989)For more information, see Related Questions, below.
No, the Supreme Court ruled in the 1990's that burning a flag is a form of symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment. As long as the flag burning does not endanger anyone it is perfectly legal.
flag burning was unconstitutional
The parties involved in the Texas v. Johnson case were Gregory Lee Johnson, the petitioner who was convicted for burning an American flag, and the State of Texas, the respondent. Johnson argued that his actions were protected under the First Amendment as free speech, while Texas contended that the state had the right to prohibit flag desecration to preserve the flag's symbolic value. The case ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Johnson.
Gregory lee Johnson burned a flag because he was on a protest against Texas in 1984 in front of Dallas city hall Johnson burned a flag publicly after this he was sentenced to a year in jail and assessed a 2,000 dollar fine (after a lot of discussion this does not go against the first amendment)
The Supreme Cour recognized tha burning the American flag is an exrecise of our freedom of speech. In the case of the State of Texas vs Johnson. They said that he could not be arrested for it because under the 1st amendment of the constituiton it was considered symbolic speech and therefore protected.
You be arrested for terrorist charges! The flag represents our freedom and rights, and burning it down mocks that freedom!!
In Texas v. Johnson, the original jurisdiction was held by the Texas trial court, where Gregory Lee Johnson was tried and convicted for desecrating the American flag. The case eventually escalated to the Supreme Court of the United States, which reviewed the decision made by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Johnson's act of flag burning was protected under the First Amendment as free speech.
That burning the flag is allowed as part of free speech.
He doused an American flag in Kerosene and set it afire and chanted, "America, the red, white, and blue, we spit on you."