National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie

National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie, 432 U.S. 43 (1977), arising out of what is sometimes referred to as the Skokie Affair, was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States dealing with freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. This case is commonly reviewed in constitutional law classes. Related court decisions are captioned Skokie v. NSPA, Collin v. Smith and Smith v. Collin. The Supreme Court ruled 5–4, per curiam, granting certiorari and reversing and remanding the Illinois Supreme Court's denial to lift the lower court's injunction on the NSPA's march. The ruling dictated that when citizens assert that their speech is being restrained, the matter must be reviewed immediately by the judiciary. By requiring the state court to consider the neo-Nazis' appeal without delay, the Supreme Court decision allowed the National Socialist Party of America to march in Skokie.