The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression. Restricting government interference, it provides, “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech . . . .” U.S. Const. amend. I. Though originally limiting the powers granted to Congress in Article I, courts apply the First Amendment to the States. Gitlow v. New York, 268 U.S. 652 (1925) (incorporating freedom of speech into the Fourteenth Amendment). This limits ‎federal and state control over speech in the “public forum.” Sidewalks, streets, and other publicly owned areas comprise the “public forum.” Thus, the law secures the right to Read more