In this case the defendant, Johnson, was found guilty in a Texas trial court for violating a state law making it a crime to burn the American flag. He did this at the Republican national convention held in Texas. Johnson appealed, and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari. The question was whether burning the flag was protected under the First Amendment Right to Free Speech. The Supreme Court held that it was.
1. What gave the United States Supreme Court, a federal court, the right to review a Texas state law?
2. Suppose that Johnson had burned a Texas state flag instead of the U.S. flag.
a. Would the U.S. Supreme Court have jurisdiction to hear the case?
b. If the Supreme Court did hear the case, do you think the decision would have been any different from this case?
3. In which court was Johnson first tried? List all of the courts that heard this case in the order in which they heard it.