Title: United States of America vs. David T. Dellinger, et al., Transcripts
Inclusive Dates: 1969-1970

Call Number: Mss 88

Quantity: 6.0 c.f. (5 record center cartons and 2 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Mimeographed trial transcripts from the 1969-1970 conspiracy trial of “Chicago Seven” defendants Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner, resulting from the demonstrations during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The trial received widespread publicity from the media, and because of their actions during proceedings, all seven defendants and their attorneys, William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass were held in contempt of court following the conspiracy trial. There are a few gaps in the transcripts.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00088

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The trial of the United States of America vs. David T. Dellinger, et al. (variously called the Chicago Conspiracy Trial and Dellinger vs. [John] Mitchell) opened September 26, 1969 in Federal District Court in Chicago, with Judge Julius Hoffman presiding. The seven defendants, Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner, were charged with conspiring to cross state lines to incite a riot, and inciting a riot as individuals. An eighth defendant, Bobby Seale, was originally charged with the seven, but his case was separated in October 1969. The charges against the Chicago Seven, as they came to be known, stemmed from their participation in the massive street demonstrations and violent conflicts with the police, National Guard, and Army which occurred during the five days of the August 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The trial was marked by frequent outbursts by the defendants, resulting in contempt of court charges against all seven and their attorneys, William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass. The trial on the original charges lasted until February 18, 1970, with all seven ultimately acquitted of the conspiracy charges, and Froines and Weiner acquitted of the individual charges as well. The remaining five were convicted on the individual charges, and all of the defendants and their attorneys were convicted on the contempt charges. In 1972, the 1970 contempt convictions were overturned on appeal, and in a retrial Kunstler, Hoffman, Rubin, and Dellinger were again found guilty, although none ever served a prison sentence as a result.

Since the 1969-1970 trial, the Center for Constitutional Rights, New York City, with which William Kunstler is connected, has used the Freedom of Information Act to gather information that purports to show that Judge Hoffman and the prosecuting United States Attorney acted in concert during the trial and that Judge Hoffman had planned to hold the defendants in contempt of court before the alleged contemptuous behavior occurred. In 1980, Attorney Kunstler attempted to have the contempt charges ruled invalid, in a case argued in the State of Maine. The judge would not dismiss the charges, but the case is still (as of 1981) considered unfinished.

The collection is entirely comprised of mimeographed transcripts of the conspiracy trial of the Chicago Seven. Portions of the transcripts are missing, as are portions of the transcripts of the contempt of court trial. A list of the missing pages is found in the Contents List below. Many of the pages have been annotated by hand, apparently with instructions to a typist.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the Center for Constitutional Rights, via Joan L. Washington, New York, New York, 1981. Accession Number: M81-210

Processing Information

Processed by Menzi Behrnd-Klodt and John Wright, June 1981.

	Trial Transcripts Note: The following pages are missing from the transcripts: 1340-1792, 2002-2035, 4620-4625, 4799, 4933-4936, 6146-7573, 8289, 9215, 10398-10400, 10453-10650, 17344-17862, 18861-19284, 20424-20675, 21927, 22033-conclusion of trial.
Box   1 Folder   1-17	Pages 2-3998, September 26-October 23, 1969
Box   2 Folder   1-18	Pages 3999-8771, October 24-December 1, 1969
Box   3 Folder   1-17	Pages 8772-12505, December 2-23, 1969
Box   4 Folder   1-17	Pages 12506-15706, December 24, 1969-January 14, 1970
Box   5 Folder   1-15	Pages 15707-19884, January 15-February 5, 1970
Box   6 Folder   1-5	Pages 19886-21167, February 6-12, 1970
Box   7 Folder   1-6	Pages 21168-22032, February 13-20, 1970