Legal Difficulties
In August 1950, after a raid on the Pittsburgh Party Headquarters, Nelson and two local party leaders were arrested and charged under the 1919 Pennsylvania Sedition Act for attempting to overthrow the state and federal government.
Nelson initially received a 20-year prison sentence, $10,000 in fines and $13,000 in prosecution costs. He was jailed in Pittsburgh for seven months and then released on bail pending his appeal. In 1953 he and five others were indicted under the Federal Smith Act. This time the fine was 5 years and $10,000. All six were granted bail.
In 1956 in Pennsylvania v. Nelson, the United States Supreme Court overturned the Pennsylvania Sedition Act, saying that the Federal Smith Act superseded this and all similar state laws.
In the same year testimony at the first trial was found to have been perjured and a new trial was granted. In 1957 the government dropped all charges against the defendants.
Read more about this topic: Steve Nelson (activist), Biography
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