Legal Opinion
Commonwealth v. a Juvenile
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Decided September 11, 1975PublishedCited by 107 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtHennessey, J.
In this case we conclude, in a result which is required by relevant decisions of the United States Supreme Court, that the “idle and disorderly persons” provision of G. L. c. 272, § 53, cannot constitutionally be the basis for criminal convictions for the use of offensive and abusive language.
The case comes to this court by a report from the Boston Juvenile Court, Appellate Division, which had before it an appeal from a finding that the juvenile involved was a disorderly person within the meaning of § 53. The case was reported in accordance with G. L. c. 278, § 30A, and G. L. c. 119, § 56.
As…
2Cases cited48 opinions
- Grayned v. City of RockfordSupreme Court of the United States · 1972
- Broadrick v. OklahomaSupreme Court of the United States · 1973
- Cantwell v. ConnecticutSupreme Court of the United States · 1940
- Connally v. General Construction Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1926
- Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School DistrictSupreme Court of the United States · 1969
43 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by107 opinions
- Hector Santiago v. Paul J. Fenton, Etc.Court of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1989
- James Earle v. Robert BenoitCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1988
- Iacobucci v. Town of PembrokeCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1999
- Commonwealth v. OrlandoMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1977
- Commonwealth v. KingMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1977
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