On September 23, 1969, the Chicago Eight trial begins. Eight
antiwar activists had been arrested and charged with instigating the violent
demonstrations at the August 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The
defendants included David Dellinger of the National Mobilization Committee
(NMC); Rennie Davis and Thomas Hayden of the Students for a Democratic Society
(SDS); Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, founders of the Youth International Party
("Yippies"); Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers; and two lesser known
activists, Lee Weiner and John Froines. The group was charged with conspiracy
to cross state lines with intent to incite a riot. All but Seale were
represented by attorneys William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass. The trial,
presided over by Judge Julius Hoffman, turned into a circus as the defendants
and their attorneys used the court as a platform to attack Nixon, the war, racism,
and oppression. Their tactics were so disruptive that at one point, Judge
Hoffman ordered Seale gagged and strapped to his chair. When the trial ended in
February 1970, Hoffman found the defendants and their attorneys guilty of 175
counts of contempt of court and sentenced them to terms between two to four
years. Although declaring the defendants not guilty of conspiracy, the jury
found all but Froines and Weiner guilty of intent to riot. The others were each
sentenced to five years and fined $5,000. None of the defendants served time
because in 1972, a Court of Appeal overturned the criminal convictions and
eventually most of the contempt charges were dropped as well.
Michael Thomas Barry is a
columnist for CrimeMagazine.com and is the author of Murder & Mayhem 52 Crimes that
Shocked Early California
1849-1949. The book can be purchased from Amazon through the
following link:
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