{"argument_date":"2002-12-11T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2002-12-11T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2002","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","paragraphs":["Virginia claims the statute protects freedom from fear. It bans only cross-burning used to threaten harm. It does not ban all cross-burning. It avoids playing favorites unlike prior cases.","Black claims targeting a specific symbol violates the First Amendment. It engages in content and viewpoint discrimination. The state should use content-neutral alternatives. Courts should err on the side of speech freedom.","Virginia argues cross-burning is a particularly threatening form of conduct. The state singled it out with intent to intimidate. This distinguishes it from general speech protections."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 19-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 33-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 47-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 47-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 25-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 25-27"}]}],"caption":"Virginia v. Black","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:31.841536Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:31.859930Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Virginia argues its law targets only threatening acts. Black argues the law targets a specific symbol.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 19-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 33-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 47-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 47-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-23"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2002-12-11T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2002","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/01-1107.html","primary_docket":"01-1107","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T16:36:02.765151Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["Virginia seeks to uphold its cross-burning statute. Black seeks to strike it down as unconstitutional."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 19-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 33-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 47-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 47-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-23"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on December 11, 2002."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 25-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 25-27"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Virginia wants the Court to uphold its cross-burning statute.","Black wants the Court to strike down the statute."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 19-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 33-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 47-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 47-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-23"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Virginia argues the law targets only threats of bodily harm.","Black argues the law discriminates against a specific symbol."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 19-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 33-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 47-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 47-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-23"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Stevens asked about brandishing an automatic weapon in someone's face."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 25-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 25-27"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the limits of speech laws targeting specific symbols. It balances freedom from fear against free expression. The outcome shapes how states regulate threatening conduct."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 19-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 33-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 47-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 47-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-23"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 25-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 25-27"}]}],"slug":"2002-01-1107-virginia-v-black","term":"2002","title":"Does a law banning cross-burning to threaten harm violate free speech?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 19-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 33-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 47-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 47-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1107.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-23"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}