American Decades

Important Events in Law and Justice, 1970–1979

On January 19, President Richard Nixon nominates G. Harrold Carswell for Supreme Court justice. On April 8, the Senate rejects Carswell because of his weak record on civil rights.
On February 18, the trial of the Chicago Seven ends. All defendants are acquitted on charges that they conspired to cause a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Five defendants are eventually convicted of individually crossing state lines with intent to cause a riot. In 1972 these convictions are overturned because of prejudicial conduct by the trial judge.
On March 23, the Supreme Court rules that people receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children are entitled to a hearing before their benefits are cut off.
On March 31, the Supreme Court rules in In re Winship that juvenile convictions that rest on "preponderance of the evidence" burden of proof violate the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process...

[The entire page is 4115 words long]