Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

Go to Database Search Page

Go to  Database Index Page

Gibbs Adams

 

Charge:

Contempt of Court

Sentence:

$300 fine

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

1971

Year Convicted:

1971

Year Cleared:

1972

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Louisiana

County or Region of Crime:

East Baton Rouge

City of Crime:

Baton Rouge

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

"Larry Dickinson and Gibbs Adams were wrongly convicted of contempt of court on November 15, 1971, for reporting on court proceedings that occurred on November 1 in Baton Rouge, Lousiana, after the judge had instructed the press not to report on any testimony given in open court during that hearing. The two men were employed by the City Press and assigned to cover the hearing for the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate and the State Times. They reported on testimony during the hearing and after the judge held a hearing on November 15 he held them in contempt of court for violating his order and fined them $300 each. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned the contempt convictions on August 22, 1972, 'Censorship in any form - judicial censorship included - is simply incompatible with the dictates of the constitution and the concept of a free press.'"

Conviction Caused By:

Judge improperly convicted the reporters in contempt of court.

Innocence Proved By:

"The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned the contempt convictions on August 22, 1972, 'Censorship in any form - judicial censorship included - is simply incompatible with the dictates of the constitution and the concept of a free press.'"

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"United States v. Dickinson, 465 F2d 496 (5th Cir, 08-22-1972)"

Information Location 1:

http://openjurist.org/465/f2d/496/united-states-v-dickinson

Information Source 2:

"2 Reporters Found Wrongly Convicted, New York Times, August 23, 1972"

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case:

Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

Hosted on forejustice.org and mirrored on justicedenied.org .