| Bond v. Floyd | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued November 10, 1966 Decided December 5, 1966 | |
| Full case name | Bond, et al. v. Floyd, et al. |
| Citations | 385U.S.116 (more) 87 S. Ct. 339; 17L. Ed. 2d 235; 1966U.S. LEXIS 75 |
| Holding | |
| Though a State may impose all oath requirement on legislators, it cannot limit their capacity to express views on local or national policy. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinion | |
| Majority | Warren, joined byunanimous |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amends. I,XIV | |
Bond v. Floyd, 385 U.S. 116 (1966), was aUnited States Supreme Court case in which the Court unanimously affirmed theFirst Amendment rights of state legislators and held that state legislators cannot lawfully limit a fellow legislator's right to express their views on local or national policy.
Julian Bond, an African American, was elected to theGeorgia House of Representatives in June 1965. Bond was a member of theStudent Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which opposed theVietnam War. After his election, during a news interview, Bond endorsed SNCC's views, stating that he did not support the war, and that, as apacifist, he was opposed to all war. Members of the Georgia House of Representatives objected to Bond's statements, and petitioned to prohibit him from joining the House. A hearing was held, and Bond repeated his pacifist viewpoints, but maintained that he never urgeddraft-card burning or other law violations. The House committee voted to prohibit Bond from joining the House.
Bond sued in federal court, but theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia upheld the House vote, with a three-judge panel concluding 2–1 that Bond's remarks exceeded criticism of national policy and that he could not in good faith take an oath to support the state and federal constitutions. JudgesLewis Render Morgan andGriffin Bell ruled against Bond, whileElbert Tuttle dissented.
Bond appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, ordered theGeorgia House of Representatives to permit Bond to take his seat. The Court held:
Works related toBond v. Floyd at Wikisource