The Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript

By: Mark L. Levine - editor, George C. McNamee - editor, Daniel Greenberg - editor, Aaron Sorkin - foreword

Narrated by: J. K. Simmons, Jeff Daniels, Chris Jackson, John Hawkes, Chris Chalk, Luke Kirby, Corey Stoll, Norbert Leo Butz, George Newbern, full cast

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Republished 50 years later to coincide with the release of the Academy Award-nominated film of the same title written and directed by Aaron Sorkin with an all-star cast, this is the classic account of perhaps the most infamous, and definitely the most entertaining, trial in recent American history.

In the fall of 1969 eight prominent anti-Vietnam War activists were put on trial for conspiring to riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. One of the eight, Black Panther cofounder Bobby Seale, was literally bound and gagged in court by order of the judge, Julius Hoffman, and his case was separated from that of the others.

The activists, who included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Tom Hayden, and their attorneys, William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass, insisted that the First Amendment was on trial. Their witnesses were a virtual who’s who of the 1960s counterculture: Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, Judy Collins, Norman Mailer, among them.

The defendants constantly interrupted to protest what they felt were unfair rulings by the judge. The trial became a circus, all the while receiving intense media coverage. The convictions that resulted were subsequently overturned on appeal, but the trial remained a political and cultural touchstone, a mirror of the deep divisions in the country. The Trial of the Chicago 7 consists of the highlights from trial testimony with a brief epilogue describing what later happened to the principal figures.

©1970, 2020 Mark L. Levine, George C. McNamee, and Daniel L. Greenberg Foreword ©2020 Aaron Sorkin. The complete trial transcript in the case of United States vs. Dellinger, et al., is in the public domain. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Astounding

Great cast and mind-blowing content. Astounding American history well presented, even for the layman.

“It is very good theater”

That is a quote from one of the defendants. This trial was a circus from start to finish. 5 months in jail for referring to the judge as mr Hoffman instead of your honor or judge Hoffman. This trial is an eye opening experience that America is not nor will it ever be infallible.

I recoupment profusely. Each defend gave a speech worthy of Hollywood. You will not be disappointed.

A stellar review of the "highlights" of this case.

If you've seen the movie inspired by this case I highly recommend this book.

Utter insanity

I genuinely can’t believe that the whole trial just went like this, and that not many people know about it. At least I didn’t know about it, and I grew up in a Chicago, public school and high school. It’s just insane to me with how Miss managed the judge was, and how bad things went down, and eventually got corrected, this 10 hour long audiobook really is just a work of miracles in the worst way possible. What you’re listening to is American history, and the way that it is not hidden by the victors who write history, but the way that everyone saw the case from the plaintiff from the judge, to the bailiff, the jury and much more, you get to see the trial for what it is and the mismanagement that came with it although in transcript form, it still offers in great detail as to what happened shows you what many people don’t want to show you I would definitely recommend this as someone who doesn’t find themselves reading, or listening to audiobooks to take a listen to real unfiltered American history asked to show all of us that there are people who are above the law, and how we must fight against them.

Worth reading but be ready for disappointments

this is a necessary book to read and I read it upon the recommendation of the legal eagle on YouTube. it is a very telling and exact recount of an actual legal case. it is very thorough and it's details and and court documents. it fills in a lot of holes however, the disappointments are many. because of the way it's put together as a book, you just don't get the details that you really want to hear you get a lot of the who what when and very little of the why and how and this is mostly because of the way Court documents are filed I'm no expert but this is where something like law and order becomes necessary for storytelling. I realize this is really an account of what's happened and not the story of what happened but I kind of wish they had done a story of what happened so that I can say oh here's the beginning the middle and end and here's the conclusions I want to draw from this rather than oh it's over and well that happened. a follow-up to the court case I guess it kind of fall out is kind of provided but again I feel unsatiated by the end result of this book.

Reminiscent of current discourse

This was an entertaining as well as educational dramatization. I enjoy full cast Audible productions and this doesn't disappoint. It reminds me of our current political national discourse. on one hand you have a generation questioning the old guard and bashing at the foundation of the establishment. Then you have the old conservative guard. Frightened that this new thing might destroy life and security as they've known it. Willing to use hyperbole and any other means to maintain what they see as The sacred American Way.

Now for the cons: While I feel the actions of Judge Hoffman were a flagrant violation of the defendants right to a fair trial. Also his intimidation of the attorneys which he should have known would be a slam dunk for successful appeal. Still the actor voicing the judge did make him sound like a Simpson's cartoon character and I wonder if that was intentional. probably not. But, still. Also I do imagine that constantly being laughed at and name called in a court of law was unsettling and infuriating to the aging judge.

This has caused me to go back and explore a little history and that's a good thing. Full disclosure: I am a 63 year old white Southerner from Alabama. A moderately (which means left wing in the South) left of center Democrat. Yes America there are still Democrats left in the South. All in All a highly recommended production.

Equally infuriating and hilarious

The primary feature of this selection which garners reaction, positive and negative, is obviously the editing. It is clear that large swathes of the transcripts are edited out, but what remains more than adequately conveys the nature of the trial. Anyone who's dealt with the criminal justice system recognizes a rigged game. And this trial, over 50+ years ago, showcases the uphill battle just to recognize simple truths and constitutional rights, held hostage by doddering old judges ruling over autocratic court fiefdoms. It's easy to see how something so tragic has to be laughed at, and is, consistently, to the judge's consternation.

All the personalities are precisely and effectively defined, and notwithstanding the absurdities that are spoken by some, everyone is fairly represented. In particular reference to the reviewer who was critical of the voicing of the judge, I don't know how any characterization of him could be anything but cartoonish, with his blatantly narcissistic,mentally infirm and racist (despite the articles he cites) nature. Altogether, an enjoyable listen to a judicial horror story, the fascist mentality of which we sadly have not yet eradicated in the country.

Fantastic

I loved this drama and I wish there was more like it but I can never find any

enter the sorkinverse

aaron sorkin is a hack and a neoliberal propagandist and he ruined this beautiful comedy for his abomination of a movie

This is a bonkers trial.

This performance was an excellent look into a strange court in a trial that had me laughing throughout as the persons inside the court were part of an insane proceeding.

I was unaware of this incident before watching the Movie about it on Netflix and seeing the YouTube channel’s Legal Eagle’s review. I’m coming away more informed but perhaps less enlightened, as this didn’t present the prosecutions arguments in a convincing manor, and the jury didn’t find the defendants innocent.