brandenburg ohio argued february decided june appellant ku klux klan leader convicted ohio criminal syndicalism statute advocat ing duty necessity propriety crime sabotage violence unlawful methods terrorism means accomplishing industrial political reform voluntarily assembl ing society group assemblage persons formed teach advocate doctrines criminal syndicalism neither indictment trial judge instructions refined statute definition crime terms mere advocacy distinguished incitement imminent lawless action held since statute words applied purports punish mere advocacy forbid pain criminal punishment assembly others merely advocate described type action falls within condemnation first fourteenth amendments freedoms speech press permit state forbid advocacy use force law violation except advocacy directed inciting producing imminent lawless action likely incite produce action whitney california overruled reversed allen brown argued cause appellant briefs norman dorsen melvin wulf eleanor holmes norton bernard berkman leonard kirschner argued cause appellee brief melvin rueger paul brown attorney general ohio pro se leo conway assistant attorney general filed brief attorney general amicus curiae per curiam appellant leader ku klux klan group convicted ohio criminal syndicalism statute advocat ing duty necessity propriety crime sabotage violence unlawful methods terrorism means accomplishing industrial political reform voluntarily assembl ing society group assemblage persons formed teach advocate doctrines criminal syndicalism ohio rev code ann fined sentenced one years imprisonment appellant challenged constitutionality criminal syndicalism statute first fourteenth amendments constitution intermediate appellate ohio affirmed conviction without opinion ohio dismissed appeal sua sponte reason substantial constitutional question exists herein file opinion explain conclusions appeal taken noted probable jurisdiction reverse record shows man identified trial appellant telephoned staff cincinnati television station invited come ku klux klan rally held farm hamilton county cooperation organizers reporter cameraman attended meeting filmed events portions films later broadcast local station national network prosecution case rested films testimony identifying appellant person communicated reporter spoke rally state also introduced evidence several articles appearing film including pistol rifle shotgun ammunition bible red hood worn speaker films one film showed hooded figures carried firearms gathered around large wooden cross burned one present participants newsmen made film words uttered scene incomprehensible film projected scattered phrases understood derogatory negroes one instance jews another scene film showed appellant klan regalia making speech speech full follows organizers meeting quite members today hundreds hundreds members throughout state ohio quote newspaper clipping columbus ohio dispatch five weeks ago sunday morning klan members state ohio organization revengent organization president congress continues suppress white caucasian race possible might revengeance taken marching congress july fourth four hundred thousand strong dividing two groups one group march augustine florida group march mississippi thank ohio criminal syndicalism statute enacted identical quite similar laws adopted two territories dowell history criminal syndicalism legislation sustained constitutionality california criminal syndicalism act cal penal code text quite similar laws ohio whitney california upheld statute ground without advocating violent means effect political economic change involves danger security state state may outlaw cf fiske kansas whitney thoroughly discredited later decisions see dennis later decisions fashioned principle constitutional guarantees free speech free press permit state forbid proscribe advocacy use force law violation except advocacy directed inciting producing imminent lawless action likely incite produce action said noto mere abstract teaching moral propriety even moral necessity resort force violence preparing group violent action steeling action see also herndon lowry bond floyd statute fails draw distinction impermissibly intrudes upon freedoms guaranteed first fourteenth amendments sweeps within condemnation speech constitution immunized governmental control cf yates de jonge oregon stromberg california see also robel keyishian board regents elfbrandt russell aptheker secretary state baggett bullitt measured test ohio criminal syndicalism act sustained act punishes persons advocate teach duty necessity propriety violence means accomplishing industrial political reform publish circulate display book paper containing advocacy justify commission violent acts intent exemplify spread advocate propriety doctrines criminal syndicalism voluntarily assemble group formed teach advocate doctrines criminal syndicalism neither indictment trial judge instructions jury way refined statute bald definition crime terms mere advocacy distinguished incitement imminent lawless action accordingly confronted statute words applied purports punish mere advocacy forbid pain criminal punishment assembly others merely advocate described type action statute falls within condemnation first fourteenth amendments contrary teaching whitney california supra supported decision therefore overruled reversed footnotes significant portions understood far nigger going yeah going niggers dirty nigger send jews back israel let give back dark garden save america let go back constitutional betterment bury niggers intend part give us state rights freedom whites nigger fight every inch gets theory smith act stat embodied principle applied conformity sustained act constitutionality dennis basis dennis emphasized yates overturned convictions advocacy forcible overthrow government smith act trial judge instructions allowed conviction mere advocacy unrelated tendency produce forcible action first count indictment charged appellant unlawfully word mouth advocate necessity propriety crime violence unlawful methods terrorism means accomplishing political reform second count charged appellant unlawfully voluntarily assemble group assemblage persons formed advocate doctrines criminal syndicalism trial judge charge merely followed language indictment construction statute ohio courts brought within constitutionally permissible limits ohio considered statute one previous case state kassay ohio constitutionality statute sustained statutes affecting right assembly like touching freedom speech must observe established distinctions mere advocacy incitement imminent lawless action chief justice hughes wrote de jonge oregon supra right peaceable assembly right cognate free speech free press equally fundamental see also cruikshank hague cio naacp alabama ex rel patterson mr agree views expressed justice douglas concurring opinion case clear present danger doctrine place interpretation first amendment join opinion understand simply cites dennis indicate agreement part clear present danger doctrine dennis purported rely justice douglas concurring join opinion desire enter caveat clear present danger test adumbrated justice holmes case arising world war war declared congress chief executive case schenck defendant charged attempts cause insubordination military obstruction enlistment pamphlets distributed urged resistance draft denounced conscription impugned motives backing war effort first amendment tendered defense justice holmes rejecting defense said question every case whether words used used circumstances nature create clear present danger bring substantive evils congress right prevent question proximity degree debs third trilogy term debs convicted speaking opposition war opposition expressed natural intended effect obstruct recruiting intended circumstances probable effect protected reason part general program expressions general conscientious belief ibid present danger immediate evil intent bring warrants congress setting limit expression opinion private rights concerned congress certainly forbid effort change mind country world war cases put gloss clear present danger first amendment whether war power greatest leveler adequate sustain doctrine debatable dissents abrams schaefer pierce show easily clear present danger manipulated crush brandeis called fundamental right free men strive better conditions new legislation new institutions argument discourse pierce supra even time war though doubt clear present danger test congenial first amendment time declared war certain reconcilable first amendment days peace quite properly overrules whitney california involved advocacy ideas majority deemed unsound dangerous justice holmes though never formally abandoning clear present danger test moved closer first amendment ideal said dissent gitlow new york every idea incitement offers belief believed acted unless belief outweighs failure energy stifles movement birth difference expression opinion incitement narrower sense speaker enthusiasm result eloquence may set fire reason whatever may thought redundant discourse us chance starting present conflagration long run beliefs expressed proletarian dictatorship destined accepted dominant forces community meaning free speech given chance way herndon lowry overturned conviction exercising first amendment rights incite insurrection lack evidence incitement see hartzel bridges california approved clear present danger test elaborate dictum tightened confined narrow category dennis opened wide door distorting clear present danger test beyond recognition case prosecution dubbed agreement teach marxist creed conspiracy case submitted jury charge jury convict unless found defendants intended overthrow government speedily circumstances permit sustained convictions charge construing mean determination whether gravity evil discounted improbability justifies invasion free speech necessary avoid danger quoting dennis clear present danger test came offspring advocacy teaching forcible overthrow government abstract principle immune prosecution yates active member guilty knowledge intent aim overthrow government violence noto may prosecuted scales power investigate backed powerful sanction contempt includes power determine two categories fits particular witness barenblatt investigator roams beliefs witness ransacking conscience innermost thoughts judge learned hand wrote appeals affirming judgment dennis coined improbable test adopted judge hand preferred clear present danger test indeed book bill rights referring holmes creation clear present danger test said help thinking homer nodded view quite different see place regime first amendment clear present danger test whether strict tight make dennis rephrased one reads opinions closely sees clear present danger test applied great misgivings aroused first threats often loud always puny made serious judges wedded status quo critical analysis made nervous second test twisted perverted dennis make trial teachers marxism political trial part parcel cold war eroded substantial parts first amendment action often method expression within protection first amendment suppose one tears copy constitution eloquent protest decision may indicted suppose one rips bible shreds celebrate departure one faith embrace atheism may indicted last term held registrant selective service burned draft card protest war vietnam prosecuted first amendment tendered defense rejected saying issuance certificates indicating registration eligibility classification individuals legitimate substantial administrative aid functioning system legislation insure continuing availability issued certificates serves legitimate substantial purpose system administration act praying often involves body posture movement well utterances nonetheless protected free exercise clause picketing said numerous occasions free speech plus see bakery drivers local wohl douglas concurring giboney empire storage hughes superior labor board fruit packers black concurring harlan dissenting cox louisiana opinion black food employees logan plaza douglas concurring means regulated comes plus action side protest regulated number pickets place hours see cox louisiana supra traffic community problems otherwise suffer none considerations implicated symbolic protest vietnam war burning draft card one beliefs long thought sanctuaries government invade barenblatt one example ease sanctuary violated lines drawn criminal act active communist innocent act nominal inactive communist mark difference deep abiding belief casual uncertain belief think matters belief beyond reach subpoenas probings investigators invasions privacy made investigating committees notoriously unconstitutional fault infamous hearings since president truman launched processed men women hearings primarily concerned one thoughts ideas beliefs convictions blatant violations first amendment ever known line permissible subject control may made impermissible subject regulation line ideas overt acts example usually given punish speech case one falsely shouts fire crowded theatre however classic case speech brigaded action see speiser randall douglas concurring indeed inseparable prosecution launched overt acts actually caused apart rare instances kind speech think immune prosecution certainly constitutional line advocacy abstract ideas yates advocacy political action scales quality advocacy turns depth conviction government power invade sanctuary belief conscience see mckay preference freedom rev see feiner new york speaker arrested arousing audience clear present danger hecklers audience break meeting see justice black dissenting communications assn douds et seq