View source for 1941 New Jersey "race hatred" trial

The '''1941 New Jersey "[[race]] hatred" trial''' occurred after nine members of the [[German American Bund]] were indicted under that state's race hatred law. All were convicted including national leader [[Wilhelm Kunze]] on charges of "promoting hatred against [[people]] of the [[jewish religion]]".<ref>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ITFkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=S_gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5642,442407&dq=john-fitting+german+bund&hl=en "Bund Leaders To Be Sentenced on January 31" ''The Day'' (New London Conn.) January 7, 1941]</ref>
Sentences ranged from 12 to 14 months in state prison and fines as high as $2,000. 

In early December 1941--days before the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] and war with [[Japan]] and [[Germany]]--the New Jersey supreme court reversed the sentences of the nine Bund members ruling the law conflicted with the constitutional guarantees of [[free speech]].<ref>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UnUxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zSIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5001,1672104&dq=john-fitting+german+bund&hl=en "Race Hatred Law 'Invalid'" ''The Milwaukee Journal'' December 5, 1941]</ref> 

==Other defendants==
* [[August Klapprott]], of Andover, eastern Bund leader
* [[Matthias Kohler]], of Irvington, state treasurer
* [[Leonard D. Clark]], of New York, writer of the Bund magazine ''[[Free America]]'' 
* Rev. [[John C. Fitting]] of Union City, state Bund secretary
* Four trustees of [[Bund Camp Nordland]]
:*[[Richard Schiele]] of Paterson
:*[[Paul Schaarschmidt]] of Paterson
:*[[Carl Schipphorst]] of Glen Rock
:*[[George Neuppert]] of Clifftside Park

==Notes==
<small>{{Reflist|2}}</small>

==See also==
* [[Robert Edward Edmondson]]

==External links==
* [http://www.njherald.com/article/20160131/ARTICLE/301319957# From the Archives, Jan. 31, 1941]
* [http://forejustice.org/db/Clark--Leonard-D.-.html Wrongly Convicted Database Record]

[[Category:New Jersey]]
[[Category:Events]]