Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927)

Whitney v. California's concurrence is read by Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and the majority opinion is read by Barrett Fife, a rising junior at William & Mary University.

Legal Question: Whether California's criminal syndicalism law that made it a crime to defend, advocate, or establish an organization committed to violent means of effecting government change violated the First Amendment.

Action: The Court found that the act was constitutional and upheld Whitney's conviction.

Mr. Justice Sanford delivered the opinion of the Court., at 00:59

Mr. Justice Brandeis, concurring., at 27:30

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