WATKINS v. UNITED STATES
Term:
- 1950-1959
Location:
Congress
Facts of the Case
In 1954, John Watkins, a labor organizer, was called upon to testify in hearings conducted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Watkins agreed to describe his alleged connections with the Communist Party and to identify current members of the Party. Watkins refused to give information concerning individuals who had left the Communist Party. Watkins argued that such questions were beyond the authority of the Committee.
Question
Did the activities of the Un-American Activities Committee constitute an unconstitutional exercise of congressional power?
Argument
Watkins v. United States - Oral Argument, Part 1Watkins v. United States - Oral Argument, Part 2 Conclusion
Decision: 6 votes for Watkins, 1 vote(s) against
Legal provision: Due Process
Legal provision: Due Process
In a 6-to-1 decision, the Court held that the activities of the House Committee were beyond the scope of congressional power. The Court held that both the authorizing resolution of the Committee and the specific statements made by the Committee to Watkins failed to limit the Committee's power. The Court found that because Watkins had not been given sufficient information describing the pertinency of the questions to the subjects under inquiry, he had not been accorded a fair opportunity to determine whether he was within his rights in refusing to answer. The Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment thus invalidated Watkins' conviction.
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Cite this Page
WATKINS v. UNITED STATES. The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. 26 April 2013. <http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1956/1956_261>.
WATKINS v. UNITED STATES, The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1956/1956_261 (last visited April 26, 2013).
"WATKINS v. UNITED STATES," The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, accessed April 26, 2013, http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1956/1956_261.