‘Chicago Seven’ Allowed Bail

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32235, 2 March 1970, Page 13

‘Chicago Seven’ Allowed Bail

(ft Z. Press Association—Copyright) CHICAGO, March 1. The seven convicted members of the Chicago riots conspiracy have been freed on bail, pending their appeals, five judges having ruled that they could not be held as dangerous men.

The seven men were driven from the Cook County Prison yesterday afternoon to the office of Commissioner James Balog, where they signed their bail bonds and posted 10 per cent of their bail in cash, as required by law. The necessary money, $U515,500, had been withdrawn from a Chicago bank by the lawyer who had filed their applications with the Seventh Circuit Appeals Court in Chicago earlier this week. The Appeals Court judges’ decision caught officials, lawyers and defendants by surprise, because it had been thought that their ruling, previously expected on Friday, would not be announced until Monday. The five judges, whose decision was unanimous, rejected the prosecution’s con-

tention that the defendants were too dangerous to be permitted liberty while their appeals were being considered. “The court has found no risk of flight,” the judges ruled.! “Without prejudging the! merit of the appeals (against! contempt-of-court and riot-; incitement convictions and!' sentences), we conclude that; the appeals are not frivolous.”; However, the Court warned 1 the seven: “The United States 1 has the right to protect itself , against seditious speech.” j