''Talley v. California'', 362 U.S. 60 (1960), was a case in which the
Supreme Court of the United States voided a
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
city
ordinance which forbade the distribution of any
handbill
A flyer (or flier) is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in a public place, handed out to individuals or sent through the mail. In the 2010s, flyers range from inexpensively photocopi ...
s in any place under any circumstances if the handbills did not contain the name and address of the person for whom it was prepared, distributed, or sponsored.
''Talley'' is often cited for the proposition that identification requirements burden speech.
The Importance of Anonymous Speech
''Talley v. California'' is notable for its exposition on anonymous speech. While looking at historical applications of anonymous speech, the court points to two uses in particular that influenced their decision.
# Fear of Retaliation - Speaking anonymously protects those that criticize oppressive practices from the oppressors.
# Focus on the Message - Listeners focus on the message rather than the messenger when speech is anonymous.
Dissent
Although the dissent also saw the important protections of anonymous speech, it did not see any danger in this particular instance. The right to speak anonymously had to weigh against the benefit of the public knowing the author. As the dissent saw no evidence that any harm would come to Talley by revelation of his identity, the public knowledge outweighed Talley's right to anonymous speech.
See also
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List of United States Supreme Court cases
This page serves as an index of lists of United States Supreme Court cases. The United States Supreme Court is the highest federal court of the United States.
By Chief Justice
Court historians and other legal scholars consider each Chief J ...
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Lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume
The following is a complete list of cases decided by the United States Supreme Court organized by volume of the ''United States Reports'' in which they appear. This is a list of volumes of ''U.S. Reports'', and the links point to the contents of e ...
**
* ''
Anonymous Online Speakers v. United States District Court for the District of Nevada''
* ''
McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission
''McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission'', 514 U.S. 334 (1995), is a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that an Ohio statute prohibiting anonymous campaign literature is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amend ...
''
References
External links
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United States Supreme Court cases
United States Supreme Court cases of the Warren Court
United States Free Speech Clause case law
Legal history of California
1960 in United States case law
1960 in California
Civil rights movement case law
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