Torrey Lynne Henderson, Amara Jana Ridge, and Justin Royce Thompson v. Texas

Petitioners assembled with others in a brief, peaceful march along a historic Texas street. The march took place primarily on the sidewalk, but when necessary to change direction or in response to water narrowing their path, the marchers at times stepped onto the street. During the brief march, an unidentified cyclist, who was not shown to have any connection to Petitioners, slowed traffic for 20-90 seconds. There is no evidence that Petitioners themselves obstructed traffic or directed or intended that anyone else do so. Petitioners were nonetheless convicted under a state statute that bars obstructing a passageway, and the court below affirmed their convictions based on the actions of unnamed others and “the crowd.” The question presented is: Do the First and Fourteenth Amendments prohibit the government from convicting individuals for obstructing a passageway based solely on their participation in a peaceful march on public sidewalks and streets, without evidence that the defendants themselves knowingly or intentionally obstructed any passageway or directed, authorized, ratified, or intended that others do so?