9th Circuit Rules Tattoos Are Protected Speech
Getting inked is protected speech, and a blanket ban on tattoo parlors by Hermosa Beach, Calif., is unconstitutional, an appeals court has found. In an opinion published Thursday, the 9th Circuit had no trouble deeming tattoos and the business of tattoo parlors forms of pure expression fully protected by the First Amendment. The court noted that its decision conflicts with the findings in at least six previous cases from various jurisdictions.
