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Access to archives and manuscripts at the Research Center.

Red Squad Chicago court case collection of open files

Descriptive Summary

Title
Red Squad Chicago court case collection of open files
Dates
1976-1993
Creator
Creator
Getzendanner, Susan C.1939- , Alliance to End Repression , American Civil Liberties Union , Chicago (Ill.).Police Department
Size
1 linear foot (2 boxes)
Language
Material is in English unless otherwise noted.

Scope and Content

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.

Conditions for Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Contact the archives for more information on licensing and permissions for use and reproduction.

Preferred Citation

A common citation for archives is as follows: Item, Folder number and/or title, Box number, Collection title, ID number, Repository name, location.

Acquisition Information

Chicago Historical Society staff, primarily Archie Motley, Gathered. Some of this material was provided to CHS by the plaintiffs' attorneys when CHS was considering accepting custody of the Red Squad files. Other materials were collected by Archie Motley from newspapers and other public sources.

Other Descriptive Data

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.

Other Descriptive Data

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 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 Material

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

Container list available online.

Indexed Terms