Court Opinion

ID: 9735529
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 18:21:07.326448+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:59.584053
License: Public Domain

Dissent
Jackson, J.
I am in disagreement with not only *289the conclusions but the language of the majority opinion and dissent thereto.
I think that in order to determine the issues presented in the case at bar the statute under which this prosecution was initiated should be set out. The statute being the Acts of 1951, ch. 226, §1, et seq. as found in §§10-5201 to 10-5209 Burns’ 1956 Replacement reads as follows:
“§10-5201. Public policy — Protection from Communism. — It is hereby declared to be the public policy of the state of Indiana and of this act [§§10-5201 — 10-5209] to protect the peace, domestic tranquility, property rights and interests of the state of Indiana and the people thereof from the tenets of the ideology known as Communism as the same is known and presently exists in the world today. [Acts 1951, ch. 226, §1, P- 646]
“10-5202. Public policy — Extermination of Communism. — It is further declared to be the public policy of the state of Indiana, and of this act [§§10-5201 — 10-5209] to promote and to enforce the Constitution of the United States of America, the constitution of the state of Indiana, and all laws passed pursuant thereto guaranteeing and defining the rights of all free Americans and, to that end, to exterminate Communism and communists, and any or all teachings of the same. [Acts 1951, ch-. 226, §2, p. 646.]
“10-5208. Definitions. — For the purpose of this act [§§10-5201 — 10-5209], the term Communism or communist as herein defined shall include, but shall not be limited to the Communist political party as it presently exists. The Communist party for the purpose of this act is hereby defined as an organization which engages in or advocates, abets, advises, of teaches, or has a purpose which is to engage in or advocate, abet, advise, or teach, activities intended to overthrow, destroy or alter, or to assist in the overthrow, destruction, or alteration of the constitutional form of the government of the United States, or of the State of Indiana, or of any political subdivision thereof,-by *290revolution, force or violence. [Acts 1951, ch. 226, §3, p. 646.]
“10-5204. Membership in Communist party or similar organization unlawful — Advocating overthrow of government unlawful. — (A) It shall be unlawful for any person to be a member of the Communist party or of any party, group, or organization which advocates in any manner the overthrow, destruction or alteration of the constitutional form of the government of the United States or of the state of Indiana, or any political subdivision thereof by revolution, force, violence, sedition, or which engages in any un-American activities.
(B) It shall be unlawful for any person by word of mouth or writing to advocate, advise or teach the duty, necessity, or propriety of overthrowing or overturning the government of the United States or of the state of Indiana or any political subdivision thereof by force or violence; or print, publish, edit, issue or knowlingly circulate, sell, distribute or publicly display any book, paper, document or written or printed matter in any form for the purpose of advocating, advising or teaching the doctrine that the government of the United States, or of the state of Indiana, shall be overthrown by force, violence or any unlawful means. [Acts 1951, ch. 226, §4, p. 646.]
“10-5205. Unlawful assembly. — Whenever two [2] or more persons assemble for the purpose of advocating or teaching the doctrine that the government of the United States, or of the state of Indiana, should be overthrown by force, violence or any unlawful means, such an assembly is unlawful, and every person voluntarily participating therein by his presence, aid or instigation, shall be guilty of a felony. [Acts 1951, ch. 226, §5, p. 646.]
“10-5206. Liability of editor or proprietor of a book or newspaper — Defense.—Every editor or proprietor of a book, newspaper or circular and every manager of a partnership or incorporated association by which a book, newspaper, or circular, is issued, is chargeable with the publication of any matter contained in such book, newspaper or circular. But in every prosecution therefor, the defendant may show in his defense that the mat*291ter complained of was published without his knowledge or fault and against his wishes, by another who had no authority from him to make the publication and whose act was disavowed by him as soon as known. [Acts 1951, ch. 226, §6, p. 646.]
“10-5207. Public officers or employees not to be communists — Discharge.—No person shall hold public office or be employed by any department, board, bureau, commission, institution or agency of the state of Indiana, or any of its political subdivisions, who is a member of the Communist party or participating in any of the activities declared unlawful by this act or has been convicted under any of the provisions of section 4 [§10-5204] of this act and any person now employed by any department, board, bureau, commission, institution or agency of the state of Indiana or any political subdivisions, who is a member of the Communist party or who is engaged in any of the activities declared unlawful by this act shall be forthwith discharged. Evidence satisfactory to the head of such department, board, institution or agency of the state of Indiana or any of its political subdivisions shall be sufficient for refusal to employ any person or cause for discharge of any employee for the reasons set forth by this section. Any person discharged or refused employment under the provisions of this section shall have the right to judicial review provided for by chapter 365 of the Acts of 1947, being an act entitled ‘An Act concerning the proceedings, orders and determinations of state officers and agencies and judicial review thereof’ approved March 14, 1947 [§§63-3001 — 63-3030]. [Acts 1951, ch. 226, §7, p. 646; 1953, ch. 93, §1, p. 274.
“10-5208. Penalty for violation. — Any person violating any of the provisions of section 5 [§10-5205] of this act shall be guilty of a felony and shall, upon conviction, be disenfranchised and rendered incapable of holding any office of profit or trust and shall be imprisoned in the Indiana State Prison for not less than one [1] year nor more than three [3] years. Acts 1951, ch. 226, §8, p. 646; 1953, ch. 93, §2, p. 274.]
*292“10-5209. Constitutional rights unaffected. — No provision of any section of this act [§§10-5201 —10-5209] shall be construed to prohibit any right protected by the federal constitution or the constitution of the state of Indiana, including but not limited to rights of freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion. [Acts 1951, ch. 226, §9, p.646.] ”
A reading of the above statute clearly and indisputably shows it to be unconstitutionally vague. A statute, invoking the police powers of the State in order to provide for internal security and public safety, and thereby impinging upon the constitutionally protected areas of free speech and assembly must so clearly .and specifically define the proscribed acts as to leave no doubts as to the nature of the offense and the charge to be met by the defendant. Herndon v. Lowry (1937), 301 U.S. 242.
The judgment of the trial court is correct and the same should be affirmed.
Note. — Reported in 203 N. E. 2d 821.