Legal Opinion
State v. Fratzke
Supreme Court of Iowa
Decided October 19, 1989No. 88-1613PublishedCited by 26 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
NEUMAN, Justice.
Defendant William Fratzke stands convicted of the crime of harassment, Iowa Code § 708.7(1) (1987), because he wrote a nasty letter to a state highway patrolman to protest a speeding ticket. His argument for reversal of his conviction is both direct and persuasive: Our Constitution does not permit government officials to put their critics, no matter how annoying, in jail. We agree, and reverse the district court.
Following his conviction for speeding 68 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour speed zone, William Fratzke ihailed his fine and court costs to the Fayette County Clerk…
2Cases cited14 opinions
- New York Times Co. v. SullivanSupreme Court of the United States · 1964
- Chaplinsky v. New HampshireSupreme Court of the United States · 1942
- Cohen v. CaliforniaSupreme Court of the United States · 1971
- Texas v. JohnsonSupreme Court of the United States · 1989
- City of Houston v. HillSupreme Court of the United States · 1987
9 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by26 opinions
- State v. SchminkeySupreme Court of Iowa · 1999
- State v. EvansSupreme Court of Iowa · 2003
- Tim O'Neill Chevrolet, Inc. v. ForristallSupreme Court of Iowa · 1996
- State v. BowerSupreme Court of Iowa · 2006
- State v. ButtonSupreme Court of Iowa · 2001
21 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.