Nation IN BRIEF : MARYLAND : Cross Burning Law Is Struck Down

The state Supreme Court struck down Maryland’s anti-cross burning law, saying it was unconstitutional because it interfered with free speech. In the unanimous opinion, Chief Judge Robert Murphy wrote: “The open and deliberate burning of religious symbols is, needless to say, odious to thoughtful members of our society. But the Constitution does not allow the unnecessary trammeling of free expression even for the noblest of purposes.” The decision affirmed a lower court ruling involving two cases. In one case, a cross was burned on the property of a black family; in the other case, on public property. The Maryland law, which was adopted in 1966, made it illegal to burn a cross on private property without getting permission of the landowner and notifying the local fire department.