Arizona Supreme Court Says Tattoos Are Free Speech

Answer 1

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that tattoos are a form of protected speech under the First Amendment. It is the first such decision by any state supreme court in the country.

The ruling stems from a case of a couple who applied for a business permit in Mesa, Arizona for a tattoo parlor and were denied by the city council.

Although the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that tattoos are protected speech, it did not force the city of Mesa to allow the couple to open a tattoo parlor.

The state supreme court ruled that Maricopa County Superior Court previously erred in dismissing the couples' case and sent it back to the superior court.

The state supreme court noted that cities have the right to regulate business location through zoning ordinances and that the court must determine whether the city's regulation is a violation of the couple's First Amendment rights.