Taylor v. State

Taylor v. State of Mississippi (1943) was a landmark freedom of speech case. The U.S. Supreme Court held in Taylor that communications cannot be criminalized by state or federal governments, unless the government can prove that the communication had an evil or sinister intent, advocated or incited subversive action against the government, and presented a clear and present danger. The Mississippi legislature passed the statute under dispute in Taylor in 1942, during World War II, when patriotic feelings were heightened. The statute criminalizes ...