NATION IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : 3 Charged in First Test of New Flag Law

The first court test of the nation’s new flag desecration law began with charges filed against three demonstrators arrested in a flag-burning protest on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. No charges were brought against a fourth demonstrator, Gregory (Joey) Johnson. It was a case involving Johnson, who burned a flag at the 1984 Republican National Convention, that led to a Supreme Court ruling in June that such activity is protected under the First Amendment. The Flag Protection Act of 1989, which went into effect Saturday, carries penalties of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The three charged with violating the law are David Blalock, a Vietnam veteran; Shawn Eicher, a New York City artist; and Scott Tyler, whose controversial display of the flag at a Chicago art exhibit earlier this year prompted demonstrations.