William O. Douglas was one of the Supreme Court’s most controversial members as well as one of its most passionate defenders of individual freedoms and First Amendment rights.| The Free Speech Center
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) said requiring students to salute the American flag infringed upon First Amendment freedoms of belief and speech.| The Free Speech Center
Robert Jackson, a Supreme Court justice from 1941 to 1954, believed strongly in separation of church and state and free speech protections First Amendment.| The Free Speech Center
The Supreme Court has ruled that compelling schoolchildren to recite the Pledge of Allegiance violates the First Amendment.| The Free Speech Center
Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940) ruled that states could require public school students to salute the U.S. flag without violating students’ First Amendment rights.| The Free Speech Center
Supreme Court Associate and Chief Justice William Rehnquist was not known as a defender of First Amendment rights, but he protective of some aspects of the amendment.| The Free Speech Center
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens contributed mightily to First Amendment jurisprudence and seemingly became more speech-protective in his later years on the Court.| The Free Speech Center
Supreme Court Justice Hugo Lafayette Black is considered to be one of the most influential justices of his time. On First Amendment issues, Black was considered an absolutist.| The Free Speech Center