Main Content

Constitutional Law II

Texas v. Johnson

This is the famous flag-burning case. Justice Brennan's majority opinion is a careful, doctrinally precise application of Spence and O'Brien, which you just read. Read his opinion closely to see how the parts fit together,.

I've included excerpts from Justice Kennedy's concurrence and two dissenting opinions, including a surprising dissent from Justice Stevens. You can choose whether or not to read them--they're not focused quite so much on doctrine.