Kamin Trial Decision Due This Morning

Judge Bailey Aldrich '28 will deliver today his final decision in the contempt of Congress trial of Leon J. Kamin '48, former research assistant in Social Relations.

Kamin will be present in Federal Court when Judge Aldrich announces his ruling. The proceedings, scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., are expected to be brief. Although the Judge reportedly has written a long opinion explaining his decision, to save time he will probably not read it.

Aldrich's impending action was announced last week, after attorneys for the government and Kamin had handed in their final briefs in the case. These briefs were rebuttals of the longer written arguments both sides had submitted to the Judge Dec. 7. The trial proper ended Nov. 7.

Only Two Counts Remain

The judgment today will concern only two counts of the original six-count indictment a Federal Grand Jury returned against Kamin more than a year ago. In a ruling Nov. 2, Judge Aldrich acquitted Kamin on two of the counts and dismissed two others.

Judge Aldrich's ruling today may only be a dismissal of the remaining two counts. Or he may declare Kamin either guilty or innocent.

If Judge Aldrich acquits Kamin in his ruling, the future is quite clear. There is almost no possibility of an appeal by the government because the Constitutional prohibition against two trials for the same crime has been construed to forbid appeals of acquittals.

Appeals Possible

A guilty verdict or an indictment dismissal leaves more possibilities. In both instances an appeal would be almost certain. What ruling the superior Federal courts would make is, of course, in doubt. If Kamin were found guilty, the severity of his sentence would be another doubtful factor.

The action for which Kamin is now on trial took place almost two years ago.