Bridges v. California
United States Supreme Court
314 U.S. 252 (1941)

- Written by Josh Lee, JD
Facts
Two unions were involved in litigation against each other. The trial judge ruled in favor of one union, and the other union filed a motion for a new trial. While the motion was pending, Bridges (defendant), the president of the union that had lost, published a telegram to the secretary of labor. The telegram criticized the trial court’s ruling as outrageous and predicted a strike by the union that had lost if the decision were enforced. The telegram stated that the strike would tie up the Port of Los Angeles. The state of California (plaintiff) charged Bridges with contempt of court for publishing the telegram, and Bridges was convicted.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Black, J.)
Dissent (Frankfurter, J.)
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