Debs v. United States
United States Supreme Court
249 U.S. 211 (1919)
Relevant factsFree
Debs (defendant), leader of the Socialist Party, gave a speech during World War I praising Socialist Party members imprisoned for refusing draft registration, and was convicted under the Espionage Act for encouraging disloyalty and obstructing military recruitment; he challenged his conviction as violating his First Amendment right to free speech.
IssueFree
Whether the Espionage Act, which prohibited certain forms of otherwise protected sedition and political speech during wartime, violates the First Amendment.