Hawaii Seven

From dKosopedia

Category: Unions in Hawaii

The House Un-American Activities Committee used the information gathered in hearings held in April 1950 in Honolulu to indict seven from Hawaii for violating the Smith Act, which made it illegal to "advocate and teach the necessity of overthrowing the government of the United States by force and violence."

In August 1951, the seven purported Communist leaders were arrested:

• Jack Hall, ILWU regional director
• John Reinecke, the former teacher
• Koji Ariyoshi, editor of the Honolulu Record
• Jack Kimoto, Honolulu Record employee
• Jim Freeman, a mechanic
• Charles Fujimoto, announced chairman of the Communist Party of Hawaii
• Eileen Fujimoto, Charles' wife and an ILWU secretary

The trial lasted nearly two years and despite the ILWU's vigorous defense of Hall (Harriet Bouslog served as counsel for the defendants and A. William Barlow the prosecutor), the seven were convicted. Appeals kept them out of jail until finally in 1958, their convictions were overturned by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

External Links

• Morse, Harold. Hawaii Seven Smith Act prosecutor died Sunday -- A. William Barlow, then- U.S. attorney, led the government team in the famous court case By Harold Morse Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 8-18-99.
• Wagner, Peter. Jack Wayne Hall -- Upstart led labor to power Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 9-13-99.
• Tsai, Michael. 'Hawaii Seven' trial Honolulu Advertiser, July 2, 2006.