The Court Cases

"The situation in the Village of Skokie is unique in the history of the United States and indeed in the history of the world. Nowhere else do victims of the Nazi Holocaust constitute 10% of the total population of a community. Nowhere else would a march of Nazis in storm trooper uniform carrying the hated swastika constitute a deliberate provocation and a cynical taunt..."

--Mayor Albert J. Smith

Document: Mayor's Report (12-1977)    Full record

Several lawsuits move their way through the courts:

  • Skokie v. National Socialist Party of America, seeks to prevent the neo-Nazis from coming to Skokie citing the number of Jewish residents in Skokie, the number of Holocaust survivors among them, and the activities and presence of the National Socialist Party of America in inciting violence

  • Collin v. Smith, seeks to overturn Skokie's "Parades and Permits" ordinances as violations of the First Amendment

  • Goldstein v. Collin, a class action suit brought against Frank Collin and his followers by Holocaust survivors

  • Collin v. O'Malley, the case against the Chicago Park District's $250,000 insurance requirement