Arrested & Held In Jail For A Week For Speaking In Public
In 1987, the US Supreme Court invalidated as unconstitutional a Houston Texas ordinance that read "โIt shall be unlawful for any person to assault, strike or in any manner oppose, molest, abuse or interrupt any policeman in the execution of his duty, or any person summoned to aid in making an arrest.โ Their reasoning? Free and protected speech is not and can not be considered interference.
Justice William J. Brennan Jr., who authored the Courtโs opinion, wrote that โthe First Amendment protects a significant amount of verbal criticism and challenge directed at police officers.โ He added that theโfreedom of individuals verbally to oppose or challenge police action without thereby risking arrest is one of the principal characteristics by which we distinguish a free nation from a police state.โ