MARYLAND V. BALTIMORE RADIO SHOW, INC.
338 U.S. 912 (1950)
NATURE OF THE CASE: Radio Show (D) was found guilty of contempt for broadcasting over
local radio stations matter relating to one Eugene H. James at a time when he was in custody
on a charge of murder. The Court of Appeals of Maryland reversed these convictions. Maryland
(D) asked the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari.
FACTS: Two little girls had been murdered under horrible and tragic circumstances. One
was dragged from her bicycle on one of the public thoroughfares of Baltimore City while in
the company, or at least, in the vicinity of two of her playmates, and there stabbed to
death. There was massive public interest and massive fear. D announced on one of its shows
that James had been apprehended and that he had been charged with the Brill murder and that
James had confessed to this dastardly crime, that he has a long criminal record, that he
went out to the scene with the officers and there reenacted the crime, and further, dug up
from somewhere down in the leaves the knife that he had used to murder the little girl. D
was charged with contempt for having a clear and present effect upon the administration of
justice. The trial court was convinced that D tainted the jury pool and made it almost
impossible for James to get a fair trial. D was found guilty of contempt but the Court of
Appeals overturned that decision. The Appellate court held that the power to punish for
contempt is limited by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Federal Constitution, and
that the facts in the case at bar cannot support the judgments. P petitioned for certiorari.
The Court declined to review the decision of the Maryland Court of Appeals.
ISSUE:
RULE OF LAW:
HOLDING AND DECISION:
LEGAL ANALYSIS:
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