Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in New Jersey
Racial Slurs
I am 18, my brother, a minor, and his friend were in a confrontation with an African-American approximately 17/18 years old. I, in the heat of the moment stepped in and said the degradation 'nigger' to him. Can I expect any legal ramifications stemming from this, considering the African American then threatened my brother's friend, on account he though he yelled the degradation?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Racial Slurs
Hmmm.
Well, as hateful as the word is and clearly you were attempting to belittle him on account of his skin color, "nigger" is probably not in the class of fighting words that is prohibited under the first amendment. In other words, you're not going to jail over the use of the word. Were that the case, the jails would be full of people of every hue.
This isn't Nazi Germany, but my advice as you go through life is not to use words that are inteded to be hurtful, if you're not willing to take the heat that comes from it.
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