User:B137/Freedman v. Maryland

Freedman v. Maryland 380 U.S. 51 (1965) was a Supreme Court case that was argued on November 19, 1964 and decided on March 1, 1965. It ended government operated rating boards when it decided that a rating board could only approve a film; it had no power to ban a film. A rating board must either approve a film within a reasonable time, or it would have to go to court to stop a film from being shown in theatres. Other court cases decided that since television stations are federally licensed, local rating boards have no jurisdiction over films shown on television. When the movie industry set up its own rating system, most state and local boards ceased operating.

Background
Ronald Freedman challenged the law of Maryland that films must be submitted to a board of censors before being submitted, claiming it unconstitutional; violating freedom of expression granted by the First Ammendment. Nine votes went for Freedman, and zero votes went against him.

The Chief Lawyer for the Appellant was Felix J. Bilgrey and the Chief Lawyer for Appellee was Thomas B. Finan. The Justices for the Court were Hugo Lafayette Black, William J. Brennan, Jr. (writing for the Court), Tom C. Clark, William O. Douglas, Arthur Goldberg, John Marshall Harlan II, Potter Stewart, Earl Warren, and Byron R. White.