Bryton Mellott was arrested on the 4th of July for flag desecration, but released from custody after police consulted with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office about the constitutionality of Illinois’s flag desecration law.
Kurt Lash is the director of the University Of Illinois College Of Law’s Program in Constitutional Theory, History, and Law. He spoke with Brian Moline about the history of flag desecration laws in the United States.
Champaign County States Attorney Julia Rietz announced Tuesday that her office will not pursue any charges. In a statement Rietz said that her office will ask local legislators to review the Illinois statute on flag desecration “given the constitutional issues that it presents.”