Refusing the Committee's Question

A congressional committee held hearings on alleged Communist influence in the film industry. Two screenwriters were called as witnesses. Each refused to say whether he was or had been a member of the Communist Party. One also refused to say whether he belonged to the writers' union. They were charged with contempt of Congress. They argued that their beliefs and associations were private and that the First Amendment barred Congress from forcing them to answer. Juries convicted them and each got a year in prison.