Brooklyn tattoo artists may soon find their ink protected under the First Amendment
In a recent Arizona case, Coleman v. City of Mesa, the state’s Supreme Court held that tattoos are protected free speech under the First Amendment. In March 2009, the City of Mesa turned down Angel Tattoo’s request to build a tattoo parlor after city residents complained that the tattoo parlor was incompatible with the area. Instead of merely ruling on the issue of building permits and zoning regulations, the court emerged with a more significant decision.
The finding that tattoos and tattoo parlors are protected free speech did not come as a shock to Joel Gora, constitutional law professor at Brooklyn Law School. Professor Gora told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle that he is not surprised to learn that the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that tattoos are protected free speech under the First Amendment.
“The [United States] Supreme Court has recognized all manner of entertainment and visual communication as expressive activities, including art, film, music, dancing, dancing, parades and burning flags, ” says Gora.