TEXAS v. JOHNSON In 1984, in front of the Dallas City Hall,
Gregory Lee Johnson burned an American flag as a means of
protest against Reagan administration policies. Johnson was
tried and convicted under a Texas law outlawing flag
desecration. He was sentenced to one year in jail and assessed a
$2,000 fine. After the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed
the conviction, the case went to the Supreme Court. Is the
desecration of an American flag, by burning or otherwise, a form
of speech that is protected under the First Amendment? Legal
provision: Amendment 1: Speech, Press, and Assembly In a 5-to-4
decision, the Court held that Johnson's burning of a flag was
protected expression under the First Amendment. The Court found
that Johnson's actions fell into the category of expressive
conduct and had a distinctively political nature. The fact that
an audience takes offense to certain ideas or expression, the
Court found, does not justify prohibitions of speech. The Court
also held that state officials did not