Which case involved the conflict between free speech and obscenity?

The case that best exemplifies the conflict between free speech and obscenity is Miller v. California. This landmark decision established a three-part test for determining whether material is considered obscene and thus not protected by the First Amendment. The ruling clarified that obscene materials do not have any redeeming social value, appeal to prurient interests, and depict sexual conduct in a manner that lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

In Miller v. California, the court sought to balance the constitutional right to free expression with the need to protect societal standards of decency. This case is instrumental in understanding how free speech rights can be limited when the content in question is deemed obscene, making it a foundational case in discussions around the limitations of free speech.

The other options, while related to free speech in various contexts—such as Texas v. Johnson which dealt with flag burning as a form of protest, Schenck v. United States which addressed the limits of speech during wartime, and Tinker v. Des Moines which looked at students’ rights to free speech in schools—do not specifically address the issue of obscenity in the same way that Miller v. California does.