Stromberg v. California, 283 U.S. 359 (1931)

Stromberg v. California's majority opinion is read by Judy Branfman, Research Affiliate at the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor & Employment and producer and director of "The Land of Orange Groves & Jails," a film about her great aunt Yetta Stromberg and this landmark Supreme Court case. The dissents are read by Ryan Edwards, a student at USC.

Legal Question: Does a California statute that prohibited the display of a red flag as a statement of "opposition to organized government" violate the First & Fourteenth Amendments?

Action: The Supreme Court reversed the conviction, holding that because the verdict did not specify what clause it was based on, the conviction could not be upheld if any of the statute's three purposes was unconstitutional. The Court ruled that the first part of the statute prohibiting the display of the flag as a sign of opposition to organized government was unconstitutional.

Mr. Chief Justice Hughes delivered the opinion of the Court. at 00:44

Mr. Justice McReynolds, dissenting, at 23:56

Mr. Justice Butler, dissenting, at 26:42

This opinion's citations have been edited down for ease of listening. For more information, visit our explanation.

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