In a brief, calm hearing, Wendell H. Furry, associate professor of Physics, and Leon J. Kamin '49, research assistant in psychology at McGill University, pleaded not guilty yesterday in Federal District Court to charges of contempt of the United States Senate.
Judge Bailey Aldrich '28 granted their lawyers, Gerald A. Berlin, and Calvin P. Bartlett, until March 4 to present their first arguments on the indictment. He gave the government another month, until April 4, to prepare its brief and set April 18 as the date for hearings on the briefs.
Both Berlin and Bartlett argued for the sixty-day period "in view of the important constitutional questions involved." Berlin added that he wished to leave himself free to present a motion to dismiss the indictments entirely. He had stated earlier that he might question not only the McCarthy subcommittee's right to question Furry about his associates, but also its right to investigate operations outside the government.
The government, through its lawyers, said it had no objection to granting the defense lawyers request and asked for another sixty days to reply. Judge Aldrich gave them only half the requested time.
Released on $1000 Bail
Furry and Kamin were released on $1,000 bail without surety. Neither bond put any restriction on travel.
Had no constitutional issues been involved in the case, the case would have been assigned for trial yesterday. The date for the trial will not now be set until after questions on the indictment have been settled.
Kamin's lawyer, Barlett, said last night he did not know how closely he would work with Berlin in preparing briefs. He said that he could not comment at present on whether there were any essential differences between the two cases.
Kamin will return either today or tomorrow to Montreal to resume his research. Bartlett said he will not be required to appear at the hearing April 18 since it concerns only "the constitutional law issues involved."
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