Supreme Court Asked to Rule that Horn Honking is Free Speech

The modern legal system can be both beautiful and frustrating at times. In certain situations, there are nuances of the law that are entirely necessary to protect those who need to be protected and lock away those who are a threat to society’s well-being. However, sometimes, we find situations that really seem like a waste of time in the legal space but everybody has the right to a fair trial, right?

In recent news, we check into the case that is asking the Supreme Court to rule that horn honking is a form of free speech. The story stems from a woman who was arrested for honking a horn at a protest and the issue has escalated to the point where it has constitutional implications.

In the video, we tune with YouTube lawyer, Steve Lehto, goes through the specifics of the case, trying to find out if this is a gray area that needs to be flushed out to uphold the integrity of the constitution or if this is something that the courts shouldn’t waste their time with.

Currently, state of California law prohibits drivers from honking a horn unless there is a threat of imminent danger. Therefore, in the particular case of aiding in expression during a protest, the blowing of a horn is illegal. However, the hope is that the technicalities of law chang so that a car horn can be recognized as free speech. You might be thinking that speech is a form of language but this case would seek to prove that honking the horn is a form of expression that might not necessarily be spoken but should be covered under free speech law anyway.

Below, Lehto dives into why exactly this case is being tried and what he thinks is going to happen when all of the pieces fall into place.