Feiner v. New York Precedents:
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Schenck v. U.S. (1919): the Supreme Court recognized limits on speech,
explaining that the clear and present danger test balanced the individual's
right to speech the extent to which that speech might produce evils that
Congress has a right to prevent.
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Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942): the Supreme Court ruled that free
speech is not absolute at all times and under all circumstances. There are
certain well-defined and narrowly limited classes of speech which are not
protected. These include the insulting or "fighting" words-those which by
their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of
the peace.
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Terminiello v. Chicago (1949): the Supreme Court ruled that freedom of
speech, though not absolute, is nevertheless protected against censorship or
punishment, unless shown likely to produce a clear and present danger of a
serious substantive evil that rises far above public inconvenience,
annoyance or unrest.