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Walker v. City of Birmingham
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Walker v. City of Birmingham | |
Court | Supreme Court of the United States |
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Citation | |
Date decided | June 12, 1967 |
Facts
Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested on Good Friday in April 1963 for violating an anti-protest court injunction in Birmingham, Alabama. While in prison, King wrote his "Letter from Birmingham Jail".
Wyatt Walker (1929 - 2018) was a friend of MLK named in this lawsuit. Walker's request for a protest permit on Easter in 1963 had been denied by the City of Birmingham, Alabama.
Walker, MLK, and other protestors defied the anti-protest court injunction and marched anyway.Issues
Is it legally okay to disobey a court injunction if the constitutional validity of the court order is disputed by the challenger (MLK and protesters)?
Arguments
Walker and MLK contended that because the protest permit denial violated their 1st Amendment rights, they had a right to violate the injunction of the Alabama court.
Case Text Links