On October 29, 1969, a startling scene unfolded in a Chicago courtroom. A defendant who had constantly interrupted the proceedings at his trial was chained to a chair and gagged in full view of the jury. The defendant was Bobby Seale, a leader of the Black Panther Party. Seale was accused along with seven white men of conspiring to cross state lines with the intent of causing riots during the 1968 Democratic Nominating Convention.
Some Americans wondered if Seale, as he rattled his chains and tried to speak through his gag, could possibly receive a fair trial as demanded by the Sixth Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Others argued that something had to be done to prevent Seale from sabotaging the judicial process.
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