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John Peter Zenger Trial
New York publisher John Peter Zenger is tried for libel after publishing criticism of the Royal Governor of New York. Zenger is defended by Andrew Hamilton and acquitted. His trial establishes the principle that truth is a defense to libel and that a jury may determine whether a publication is defamatory or seditious. -
First Amendment is Passed
On Dec. 15, Virginia becomes the 11th state to approve the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, thereby ratifying the Bill of Rights -
Life magazine is banned?
Life magazine is banned in the U.S. for publishing pictures from the public health film “The Birth of a Baby.” -
Censoring the people
Congress authorizes President Franklin D. Roosevelt to create the Office of Censorship. -
The peace of fighting words
The U.S. Supreme Court determines “fighting words” are not protected by the First Amendment. In Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, the Court defines “fighting words” as “those which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of peace.” -
Publication of papers is allowed
In New York Times v. the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court allows continued publication of the Pentagon Papers. The Court holds that the central purpose of the First Amendment is to “prohibit the widespread practice of governmental suppression of embarrassing information.” This case establishes that the press has almost absolute immunity from pre-publication restraints. -
Obscenity is Inappropriate (even with adult consent)
The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton that a state may constitutionally prohibit exhibitions or displays of obscenity, even if access to the exhibitions is limited to consenting adults. -
Communications Decency Act challenges First Amendment
Congress passes the Communications Decency Act. The act is immediately challenged on First Amendment grounds. -
Restrictions on Religion
President Clinton orders the Department of Education to send guidelines on religious expression to every public school district in the United States. -
Equality starts here
In Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that application of a public-accommodation law to force the Boy Scouts to accept a gay scoutmaster is a violation of the private organization’s freedom of association guaranteed by the First Amendment. -
Protect the Children
The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the Children’s Internet Protection Act in United States v. American Library Association, Inc. The law requires public libraries and public schools to install filtering software on computers to receive federal funding. -
Video Games are protected too
In Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that video games are a form of speech protected by the First Amendment. The Court holds California’s law restricting the sale or rental of violent video games to minors is unconstitutional.
