Red Squad Chicago court case collection of open files

Red Squad Chicago court case collection of open files, 1976-1993

Finding Aid for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center

Please address questions to:

Chicago History Museum, Research Center

1601 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614-6038

Web-site: http://www.chicagohistory.org/research

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Title: Red Squad Chicago court case collection of open files, [manuscript], 1976-1993

Inclusive dates: 1976-1993.

Size:

1 linear foot (2 boxes)

Access: This collection is open for research use.

Provenance statement: Collected by Chicago Historical Society staff.

Terms governing use: Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Please cite this collection as: Red Squad Chicago court case collection of open files (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

Summary description of the collection:

Legal documents, reports, correspondence, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings relating to the legal cases assembled against the Chicago Police Department's Surveillance Unit, commonly known as the Red Squad, for its surveillance of alleged political subversives and persons engaging in leftist political activities rather than crimes. Plaintiffs argued that police surveillance curtailed certain individuals' and organizations' rights to express themselves freely. Class action lawsuits filed by the Alliance to End Repression and the American Civil Liberties Union were tried together in federal court in Chicago. Judge Susan Getzendanner presided over the case in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, ca. 1974-1981.

Lawsuits against the Chicago Police Department began in 1974 with the filing of Alliance to End Repression et al. v. City of Chicago (No. 74 C 3295) as a class action suit on November 13th. The American Civil Liberties Union et al. v. City of City of Chicago et al. (No. 75 C 3295) was filed as a class action suit on October 3, 1975. Many other plaintiffs were added subsequently to these and other suits. Plaintiffs included churches, individuals, political groups, and civil liberties organizations. The scope of defendants in the lawsuits later was broadened as well to include federal officials and agencies, including the United States Army, the United States Department of Justice, the FBI, and the CIA.

Description of materials related to this collection:

As a result of the Red Squad lawsuit, a collection known as the "Chicago Police Department Red Squad and related records" was deposited at Chicago Historical Society (now known as Chicago History Museum) according to a court order issued by Judge Susan Getzendanner. The court order imposes restrictions on access and use of that collection. Please ask staff for details.

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, also include the Alliance to End Repression records.

List of online catalog headings about the collection:

The following index headings for this collection were entered in the online catalog.

Subjects:

Getzendanner, Susan.

United States. District Court (Illinois : Northern District : Eastern Division)

Alliance to End Repression.

American Civil Liberties Union.

Chicago (Ill.). Police Dept.

Chicago (Ill.). Police Dept. Intelligence Section.

Actions and defenses--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Civil rights--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Criminal investigation--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Liberty.

Police--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Police--Complaints against--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Police patrol--United States--Surveillance operations--20th century.

Radicalism--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Trials (Political crimes and offenses)--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Chicago (Ill.)--Politics and government--1951-

Form/genre:

Correspondence.

Legal documents.

Newspaper clippings.

Pamphlets.

Reports.

Added entries:

Getzendanner, Susan.

Alliance to End Repression.

American Civil Liberties Union.

Chicago (Ill.). Police Dept.

United States. District Court (Illinois : Northern District : Eastern Division)

United States--Illinois--Cook County--Chicago.

List of files relating to the Red Squad rulings by federal Judge Susan Getzendanner

box 1

folders:

1 Order concerning disposition of documents, 1987

2 Court documents and corres., 1980-1982

3 Draft order dated March 30, 1982, findings of fact...

4 Court documents, 1983

5 Court orders and documents, 1984-1985

6 Memorandum amicus curaie, 1985

7 Settlement documents, 1985

Filings regarding Alliance plaintiffs 'attorneys fees requests against CIA and FBI defendants:

8 Corres., 1978-1980

9 Certifications of service, 1981

10 Joint motion and stipulation, 1980

11 Notice of filing and certification of service 1981

12 Notice of filing and certification of service 1982

13 Attorney's fees against federal defendants--cases and legislative history, ca. 1987

box 2

1 Federal defendants' memorandum in opposition to petition for attorney's fees against the CIA and FBI defendants, 1981

2 Alliance plaintiffs' notification of additional decisional authority, 1981

3 Federal defendants' exhibits in support of federal defendants' memorandum in opposition to petition for attorney's fees against CIA and FBI defendants, 1981

4 Motion to set date for hearing, 1982

5 Federal defendants' notification of additional case law authority regarding plaintiffs' counsel's petition for award of attorney fees, 1984

6 Newspaper clippings published subsequent to filing of Alliance suit, No. 74 C 3268, on November 13, 1974, and before filing of A.C.L.U. Suit, No. 75 C 3295, on October 3, 1975

7 "Security Agency Activities in Chicago," January, 1976

8 Articles collected by curator Archie Motley, 1974-1975