King's Civil Disobedience: Laws Broken For Equality

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested multiple times for breaking the law during the Civil Rights Movement. He believed that it was necessary to disobey laws that conflicted with the moral code. In his 'Letter from Birmingham Jail', he differentiated between just and unjust laws, stating that there was a moral responsibility to obey just laws and disobey unjust laws. He was arrested for violating practically every criminal code provision, including disturbing the peace, marching without a permit, violating picketing or boycott laws, trespassing, engaging in criminal libel, and conspiracy.

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for violating Alabama's law against mass public demonstrations

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested multiple times for violating various laws during his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. One such instance was in Birmingham, Alabama, in April 1963, when he was arrested for parading without a permit and violating a court injunction prohibiting street demonstrations. This event led to King writing his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail," in which he differentiated between just and unjust laws, stating that unjust laws are "a code that is out of harmony with the moral law."

King's view of the law can be categorized into two groups: "law as an obstacle" and "law as an opportunity." "Law as an obstacle" refers to the use of racially discriminatory laws or racially neutral laws by segregationists to hinder civil rights activism. Southern police frequently arrested civil rights protesters, including King, on various charges such as disturbing the peace, marching without a permit, violating picketing or boycott laws, trespassing, criminal libel, and conspiracy.

On February 21, 1956, King was indicted by the Montgomery County Grand Jury for violating Alabama's 1921 statute against conspiracies that interfered with lawful business. This indictment was related to the Montgomery bus boycott, where King and 89 others were accused of boycotting the Montgomery City Lines, Inc. During the trial, King's lawyers presented evidence of the evils of bus segregation and the abuse that African Americans had suffered from bus drivers. Despite this, King was found guilty and fined $500, which he refused to pay, opting for 386 days of jail time instead.

King's actions and words during these arrests and legal battles inspired millions worldwide and played a pivotal role in advancing the cause of civil rights. His willingness to disobey unfair laws and his belief in nonviolent resistance to injustice left a lasting impact on American history and the world.

He was also arrested for parading without a permit

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested on several occasions for breaking the law during the Civil Rights Movement. He was arrested for parading without a permit, which fell under the Southern police's category of "violating practically every criminal code provision".

In his 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail, King differentiated between just and unjust laws. He wrote, "A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law." He argued that there was no obligation to obey or right to enforce unjust laws.

King acknowledged the gravity of choosing to break the law, even for a just cause, and agreed that civil disobedience must be exercised with caution and regret. However, he defended his actions by stating that when an ordinance requiring a permit for a parade is used to preserve segregation and deny citizens their First Amendment right to peaceful assembly and protest, it becomes unjust.

King's arrest for parading without a permit highlights his commitment to nonviolent resistance and his belief in the necessity of disobeying laws that conflicted with the moral code. He understood that his actions could induce the public to sympathize with the victims of unjust laws and bring about change.

King was charged with tax evasion by the state of Alabama

In 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. was charged with tax evasion by the state of Alabama. This was the second time Alabama indicted King, the first being in 1956 for violating an anti-boycotting law during the Montgomery bus boycott.

In February 1960, an Alabama grand jury issued a warrant for King's arrest on two counts of felony perjury. The state charged that King had signed fraudulent tax returns for 1956 and 1958. A state audit of King's returns claimed that he had not reported funds he received on behalf of the Montgomery Improvement Association and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The state claimed that King still owed over $1,700 in taxes.

In response to the charges, a group of King's supporters met in New York and formed the "Committee to Defend Martin Luther King and the Struggle for Freedom in the South". They issued press releases denouncing the charges as a "gross misrepresentation of fact" because King's income had never "even approached" the $45,000 that Alabama officials claimed he received in 1958.

King's trial began on May 25, 1960, in Montgomery, Alabama. His lawyers effectively challenged the prosecution's case, pointing out the vagueness of the indictment and arguing that any expense reimbursements King received from the SCLC were non-taxable income. King himself testified that the tax examiner had revealed he was "under pressure by his supervisors" to find fault with his returns.

The all-white jury deliberated for nearly four hours before returning a "not guilty" verdict. Following the verdict, King expressed hope and gratitude, stating: "This represents to my mind great hope, and it reveals that said on so many occasions, that there are hundreds and thousands of people, white people of goodwill in the South."

While the tax evasion case did not pose a serious threat to King or the civil rights movement, it highlighted the lengths to which white officials in Alabama went to thwart civil rights gains in the state. This incident demonstrates how tax laws can be used as a mechanism for social oppression and an attempt to hinder the progress of the civil rights movement.

The NAACP was prosecuted for refusing to disclose membership rolls

In 1956, Alabama Attorney General John Patterson sued the NAACP for failing to comply with a state law that required out-of-state organisations to register with the state before conducting business. Alabama argued that the NAACP had opened a regional office, organised chapters, recruited members, solicited contributions, and provided financial support and legal aid to Black students attempting to gain admission to the University of Alabama.

The NAACP, incorporated in 1911 under New York law as a nonprofit membership corporation, argued that it was exempt from Alabama's registration requirements given the non-commercial nature of its activities. The group also contended that the registration mandate violated the free speech and free association protections provided under the First Amendment.

Alabama ordered the NAACP to turn over numerous organisational documents, including the names and addresses of its members in Alabama. The NAACP refused to release its membership rolls, offering instead the names and addresses of its directors and officers. Consequently, a state court judge found the group in contempt and fined it $10,000, with the penalty increasing to $100,000 after five days if the NAACP remained noncompliant.

The NAACP moved to dismiss the contempt judgement, arguing that Alabama could not force the disclosure of its member records. However, the Alabama courts maintained that a petitioner could not seek to dissolve a contempt order until they had complied with it. The NAACP was willing to produce some of the requested records but refused to disclose its membership lists, citing the potential for economic reprisal, loss of employment, threat of physical coercion, and other manifestations of public hostility if members' identities were revealed.

The case, known as NAACP v. Alabama ex rel. Patterson, was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1958. The Court unanimously reversed and remanded the judgment of the state supreme court, agreeing with the NAACP that Alabama's disclosure requirements violated the First Amendment as incorporated to state governments under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The Supreme Court's decision set a significant precedent, establishing that government may not force a group to identify its members unless the government demonstrates a compelling state interest in disclosure.

Civil rights attorneys were targeted for legal ethics violations

In the South, civil rights protesters, including Martin Luther King Jr., were arrested for disturbing the peace, marching without a permit, violating picketing or boycott laws, trespassing, engaging in criminal libel, and conspiracy. King was also prosecuted for tax evasion in Alabama.

King often struggled to explain why he felt that civil rights activists were justified in breaking certain laws, while also condemning segregationists for ignoring federal civil rights requirements. In his 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail, he differentiated between just and unjust laws. He wrote, "A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law."

King believed that unjust laws and the courts that enforced them were obstacles in the fight for racial justice. He understood that legal reform was essential, but it must be accompanied by organized social action to truly change hearts and minds.

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