Official Logo MTSU Freedom Of Speech
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • ENCYCLOPEDIA
  • NEWS
  • IN THE CLASSROOM
  • DONATE
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • ENCYCLOPEDIA
  • NEWS
  • IN THE CLASSROOM
  • DONATE

Government Investigations and Freedom of Association Cases

  • Barenblatt v. United States (1959)

Barenblatt v. United States (1959) held that government could compel
answers to political affiliation questions and that Communism justified
limiting First Amendment protections.

  • Braden v. United States (1961)

Braden v. United States (1961) upheld the conviction of a man who refused
to answer questions before the HUAC. Justice Hugo Black dissented on First
Amendment grounds.

  • DeGregory v. Attorney General of New Hampshire (1966)

DeGregory v. Attorney General of New Hampshire (1966) used the First
Amendment to overturn a prison term for a man who refused to testify
regarding previous communist activities.

  • Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigation Committee (1963)

In Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, the court held
that the state must show compelling interest to intrude on First Amendment
rights.

  • Perkins Coie v. U.S. Department of Justice (2025, D.C. District Court)

A federal district judge ruled in Perkins Coie v. U.S. Department of Justice that an executive order by President Donald Trump unlawfully retaliated against the law firm’s constitutionally protected speech and inhibited rights of association. In addition to violating those First Amendment protections, the president’s executive order also violated due process rights guaranteed by the Fifth

  • Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957)

Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957) overturned a contempt citation of professor
who refused to disclose the contents of a speech. The Court said First
Amendment freedoms were at stake.

  • United States v. Rumely (1953)

The Supreme Court in 1953 affirmed the invalidation of a contempt
conviction of Edward Rumely, who had refused to tell a congressional
committee who purchased political books for distribution. The court’s
decision in United States v. Rumely took as its basic premise the First
Amendment’s prohibition against congressional abridgment of the rights of
free speech and a free press.

  • Uphaus v. Wyman (1959, 1960)

The Supreme Court in 1959 and 1960 upheld the contempt conviction that led
to the jailing of Methodist pacifist minister Dr. Willard Uphaus for
refusing to reveal the speakers at a camp conference. In Uphaus v. Wyman,
the Court upheld New Hampshire’s contempt citation against challenges of
infringement on First Amendment freedoms of association and a right to
privacy.

  • Watkins v. United States (1957)

Watkins v. United States (1957) implicated First Amendment rights and
overturned the conviction of a man who refused to answer questions of a
Congressional investigation.

  • Wilkinson v. United States (1961)

In Wilkinson v. United States (1961), the Supreme Court rejected claims
that the work of the House Un-American Activities Committee violated the
First Amendment.

ABOUT US

Footer logo

The Free Speech Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy center dedicated to building understanding of the five freedoms of the First Amendment through education, information and engagement.

freespeechcenter@mtsu.edu

middletennstate logo

FEATURE POSTS

VOA’s global impact felt long after the Cold War

Neutral news sources could exploit today’s polarized mediascape to boost revenue − here’s why they may choose not to

What is Telegram and why was its CEO arrested in Paris?

A contentious 12 months for the First Amendment

LINKS

  • Home
  • In The Classroom
  • First Amendment Ads
  • First Amendment Encyclopedia
  • Publications
  • Contact
  • Donate

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news. Let's stay updated!

SUBSCRIBE