People v. John V.

Opinion

WIENER, Acting P. J.

It is an interesting phenomenon in our society that frequently the most pedestrian events can achieve constitutional status. In the “Fuck the Draft,” free speech case of Cohen v. California (1971) 403 U.S. 15 [29 L.Ed.2d 284, 91 S.Ct. 1780], Justice Harlan said: “This case may seem at first blush too inconsequential to find its way into our books, but the issue it presents is of no small constitutional significance.” (Id., at p. 16 [29 L.Ed.2d at p. 288].) We have similar feelings in this case where we are asked to determine whether John V.’s act of calling his…