People v. Griswold

OPINION OF THE COURT

Ellen M. Yacknin, J.

*561Introduction

Since 1791, when the United States Congress ratified the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, tension has existed between a community’s desire to limit uncomfortable and unpalatable speech by individuals and an individual’s right to express his or her thoughts in public, however distasteful those expressions might be to others. That tension is evident in the issue presented by this criminal action: namely, whether a local government may constitutionally bar a person on a public sidewalk from holding a sign asking for help.

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