As the 20th anniversary of the Watchtower v. Stratton decision nears, the Jehovah’s Witnesses remember and reflect on what their lives would’ve been like if their free speech had been taken away.
“Looking back on the two decades since the decision, it’s clear to see the wide-ranging impact that Watchtower v. Stratton has had on free speech for all,” said Josh McDaniel, director of the Religious Freedom Clinic at the Harvard Law School. “This is just the latest of some 50 Supreme Court victories by Jehovah’s Witnesses that have helped establish and broaden First Amendment jurisprudence throughout the last century.”
In the Watchtower v. Stratton case, the U.S. Supreme Court, on June 17, 2002, struck down an Ohio ordinance making it a misdemeanor to solicit door-to-door without a permit. While Jehovah’s Witnesses have chosen to temporarily suspend their door-to-door ministry due to the pandemic, door-to-door soliciting was an important way of sharing their message for a long time.
“We are thankful that we have the legal right to practice our ministry from door to door,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “When the time is right and conditions are safe, we hope to visit our neighbors in person once again.”
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