Case Categories: Profane or Indecent Speech

• Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)

  Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942) established that fighting words are not protected by the First Amendment. The Court has since narrowed the fighting words...

• Cohen v. California (1971)

  In Cohen v. California (1971) established that criminalizing the display of profane words in public places — in this case on a jacket —violates the First...

• Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation (1978)

  In FCC v. Pacifica Foundation (1978), the Supreme Court reaffirmed that there is less First Amendment protection for broadcast media than other forms of media...

• Gooding v. Wilson (1972)

  Gooding v. Wilson (1972) limited the scope of the “fighting words” exception to the First Amendment and enhanced the development of the overbreadth doctrine...

• Lucas v. Arkansas (1974)

  Lucas v. Arkansas (1974) vacated convictions for making derogatory remarks against the police since an earlier case said that such ordinances violated the First...

• Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri (1973)

  Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri (1973) reaffirmed that universities cannot punish students for indecent speech that does not disrupt...

• People v. Boomer (Mich. Ct. App.) (2002)

  In what is known as the "Cussing Canoeist" case, a Michigan profanity law making it illegal to curse in front of women and children was overturned by a state...

• Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union (1997)

  Reno v. ACLU (1997) said provisions of the Communications Decency Act that regulated Internet speech were too restrictive and violated the First Amendment...

• Rosenfeld v. New Jersey (1972)

  In Rosenfeld v. New Jersey (1972), which involved profanity and the First Amendment, the Court vacated the conviction of a man who used profane language at a...

• Sable Communications of California v. Federal Communications Commission (1989)

  Sable Communications of California v. Federal Communications Commission (1989) established the principle that indecent speech for adults is protected by the...