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Cox v. Louisiana Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A civil rights leader’s convictions for disturbing the peace and obstructing a sidewalk during a protest were overturned. The Supreme Court held that peaceful protest cannot be punished due to a hostile audience’s reaction and that statutes granting officials standardless discretion to regulate assemblies are unconstitutional.
Legal Significance: This case limits the “heckler’s veto” by protecting peaceful speech from suppression due to hostile onlookers. It also affirmed that time, place, and manner regulations on public assembly cannot grant officials unfettered discretion, which would amount to an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech.
Cox v. Louisiana Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Reverend B. Elton Cox, a civil rights leader, led a peaceful demonstration of approximately 2,000 students to a courthouse in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to protest segregation and the recent arrest of other student protesters. After consulting with the Police Chief, Cox directed the demonstrators to assemble on the sidewalk across the street from the courthouse, 101 feet away. The group sang hymns, prayed, and listened to a speech by Cox. The demonstration was orderly and controlled. A crowd of 100 to 300 white onlookers gathered on the opposite sidewalk and began “muttering” and “grumbling” in response to Cox’s speech, particularly his call for students to seek service at segregated lunch counters. The Sheriff, deeming Cox’s speech “inflammatory,” ordered the demonstrators to disperse. When they did not immediately do so, police fired tear gas. Cox was subsequently arrested and convicted under Louisiana statutes for disturbing the peace and obstructing a public passage. The Louisiana Supreme Court affirmed the convictions, defining “breach of the peace” as anything that “agitates” or “disquiets.”
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Did Louisiana’s application of its ‘disturbing the peace’ and ‘obstructing public passages’ statutes to convict the leader of a peaceful and orderly civil rights demonstration violate his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly?
Yes. The convictions for disturbing the peace and obstructing public passages were Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod
IRAC Legal Analysis
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IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Did Louisiana’s application of its ‘disturbing the peace’ and ‘obstructing public passages’ statutes to convict the leader of a peaceful and orderly civil rights demonstration violate his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly?
Conclusion
Cox v. Louisiana established critical protections for public demonstrations, reinforcing that speech Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea co
Legal Rule
A state may not criminalize peaceful expression under a breach-of-the-peace statute merely Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est lab
Legal Analysis
The Court addressed the two convictions separately. First, regarding the breach of Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occa
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- A peaceful demonstration, including speech urging sit-ins, is protected by the