Dennis v. United States
United States Supreme Court
341 U.S. 494 (1951)
Relevant factsFree
Dennis and other Communist Party leaders (defendants) were convicted under the Smith Act for conspiring to organize the Party and to advocate overthrowing the government by force; evidence showed a highly organized, disciplined conspiracy poised to act when leaders deemed conditions ripe, and Dennis challenged the convictions as violating First Amendment free-speech protections, having lost in the district court and court of appeals.
IssueFree
Whether the Smith Act, which made it a crime to teach about and advocate the overthrow or destruction of the United States Government, violates the First Amendment's protection of free speech.