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University of Iowa anti-war protests, January-April 1971

1971-02-04 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""University Opens Hearing On Dec. 9 Demonstration""

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P.C. 2/4/71 University Opens Hearing On Dec. 9 Demonstration Testimony by four witnesses was mixed this morning with statements against the war in Indochina as the University of Iowa opened a hearing concerning charges that several students violated university rules in a Dec. 9 sit-in demonstration. The sit-in allegedly prevented a Defense Intelligence Agency recruiter from interviewing job applicants at the Placement Office in the Memorial Union. The hearing began in the moot courtroom of the Law College about 9:30 a.m., although the first witness was not called to testify for about an hour. The time until 10:30 a.m. was taken up by numerous motions submitted mostly by representatives of the defendant students. Among the motions was one by a junior law student, Leonard Klaif, calling on UI hearing officer Theodore Garfield to dismiss all the charges because of Garfield's age. Klaif said the hearing denied due process to the defendants because a man "past 75 years" (Garfield) could not understand and fairly decide the cases against students so much younger than he. Garfield took all motions "under advisement" until the end of the hearing, although he did reply to Klaif. The motion, Garfield said, did "injustice to Oliver Wendell Holmes and other jurists who were older than your humble servant." The students at the hearing were charged with various violations of university rules, including a provision against "intentionally disrupting the orderly processes of the university." Students for a Democratic Society also was charged with violations of the rules. About 100 persons attended the hearing, whcih also was attended by five student defendants, several members of SDS, six law students and one law professor acting as counsel for the students, and two university attorneys. Testimony was offered this morning by William Binney, director of UI Campus Security; Elizabeth Erickson, assistant director of the Placement OFfice; and two students who allegedly observed the sit-in—William Mattas and John Wauters. Binney told of about 150 persons in the corridor in front of the placement office Dec. 9, and of events leading up to the sit-in. When cross-examined by a student, Binney admitted that he has a military background. Subsequent questions aimed at Binney included statements by students against "the war, U.S. imperialism and ROTC." Garfield did not terminate the discussions by the students concerning the war and political matters.
 
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