People v. Sidney Street
People v. Sidney Street
Opinion of the Court
It seems to us now, as it seemed to us when the case was first here, that the defendant was tried and convicted solely for the ‘ ‘ deliberate act of burning an American flag in public as a ‘ protest ’ ” (20 N Y 2d 231, 234). It was our view—as we believed it to be the trial court’s — that the words uttered by the defendant were set forth in the information and
Since, as the Supreme Court decided (p. 590), a State may not ‘ ‘ constitutionally inflict criminal punishment upon one who ventures ‘ publicly [to] defy * * * or cast contempt upon [any American flag] by words ’ ”, a person may be adjudged guilty of a violation of section 1425 (subd. 16, par. d), of our former Penal Law (now General Business Law, § 136) only if he is found to have publicly mutilated, defaced or defiled an American flag “ by act.”
Motion to amend the remittitur to conform to the mandate of the Supreme Court of the United States granted, the judgment reversed and a new trial ordered.
. This, of course, requires us to read the “ words ” clause out of the statute and to construe it to cover only the “ act ” of flag burning.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The People of the State of New York v. Sidney Street
- Status
- Published