The unit introduced Cohen v. California, which described on one person's views about the draft around the Vietnam War. Paul Robert Cohen utilized a four letter word to described his feelings about the draft. The police charged Cohen with disturbing the peace and offensive conduct. This four letter word offended a majority of people included the police officer. The court found that Cohen choice of words did not “provoke others to act violently or disturb the peace”(pg 42). The courts found that Cohen was expressing his freedom of speech which is his constitutional right. An individual is free to express themselves as long as their time, place or manner of expression does not infringe on someone else’s liberties. The courts made mention that Cohen did use what called “fighting words.” Words that are personally abusive and when addressed to an ordinary citizen would provoke a violent reaction. While Cohen was expressing himself, there was no individual nearby that would have thought the words on his jacket to be an insult directed towards them personally. When it comes to arrestable offense, you have to take an individual's offensive conduct into
The unit introduced Cohen v. California, which described on one person's views about the draft around the Vietnam War. Paul Robert Cohen utilized a four letter word to described his feelings about the draft. The police charged Cohen with disturbing the peace and offensive conduct. This four letter word offended a majority of people included the police officer. The court found that Cohen choice of words did not “provoke others to act violently or disturb the peace”(pg 42). The courts found that Cohen was expressing his freedom of speech which is his constitutional right. An individual is free to express themselves as long as their time, place or manner of expression does not infringe on someone else’s liberties. The courts made mention that Cohen did use what called “fighting words.” Words that are personally abusive and when addressed to an ordinary citizen would provoke a violent reaction. While Cohen was expressing himself, there was no individual nearby that would have thought the words on his jacket to be an insult directed towards them personally. When it comes to arrestable offense, you have to take an individual's offensive conduct into