Collin v. Smith - Significance, Nazis Must Be Allowed To March, Further Readings

plaintiff skokie judge american

Plaintiff

Albert Smith, President of the Village of Skokie, Illinois

Defendant

Frank Collin, on behalf of the National Socialist Party of America

Plaintiff's Claim

That Skokie had illegally prevented the American Nazis from holding a political march.

Chief Lawyer for Plaintiff

Gilbert Gordon, Harvey Schwartz

Chief Defense Lawyer

David A. Goldberger

Judge

U.S. District Court Judge Bernard M. Decker

Place

Chicago, Illinois

Date of Decision

2 December 1977

Decision

That Skokie could not prevent the Nazis from marching.

Related Cases

Schenck v. United States, 249 U.S. 47 (1919).
Hurley v. Irish American GLIB Association, 515 U.S. 557 (1995).

Additional Topics

Collin v. Smith - Significance

Despite the fact that the Nazis had deliberately chosen a heavily Jewish community to march in, the courts stuck firm to the First Amendment principle that unpopular groups must be allowed to express their political opinions. Prior to World War II, there was a small yet fairly significant Nazi movement in the United States, which grew out of the German-American Bund. After the war, the movement wa…

Collin v. Smith - Nazis Must Be Allowed To March

Ironically, both sides were represented by Jewish attorneys. David A. Goldberger from the American Civil Liberties Union represented the Nazis; Gilbert Gordon and Harvey Schwartz represented Smith and Skokie. The case was heard before U.S. District Court Judge Bernard M. Decker in Chicago on 2 December 1977. Collin was brutally honest about his party's beliefs. He stated that the Nazis believed bl…

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