Watkins v. United States

1. Is this a case of hard cases making bad law?

2. Warren says he is not intruding on legislative prerogatives. Do you agree?

3. How exactly is it that the first amendment is threatened by asking Watkins to reveal the names of former communists during a legislative inquiry into communist infiltration of labor unions? Should/does Watkins have standing to raise the "chill" on free speech of others?

4. Why did Frankfurter concur rather than sign on to the majority opinion?

5. What limits, if any, would Justice Clark have put on legislative inquiry?

Supreme Court of the United States

354 U.S. 178, 1 L. Ed. 2d 1273, 77 S. Ct. 1173, 1957 U.S. LEXIS 1558, SCDB 1956-108

No. 261

1957-06-17

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