Case library · The Red Scare
The Secret Woods Convention
Ruthenberg v. Michigan (1924)
Charge: Criminal syndicalism — voluntarily assembling with a group that teaches or advocates crime, sabotage or violence for political changeCourt: Supreme Court of MichiganState: MichiganDocket: The Red Scare
The facts
About seventy-five people met in secret near a small lakeside town, using false names and code designations. Among them was a senior officer of a national revolutionary party, attending as a guest delegate with the right to speak. Officers arrested him without a warrant and dug up party papers buried nearby. A state law made it a crime simply to assemble with a group that teaches crime, sabotage or violence as a route to political change.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: People v. Ruthenberg, 229 Mich. 315, 201 N.W. 358
Read more at courtlistener.com. The source reveals the outcome.