Legal cases/coram nobis cases

Coram nobis cases refer to the 1980s attempt to reverse the World War II-era convictions of Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu and Minoru Yasui, who challenged the constitutionality of the curfew and exclusion orders. The Supreme Court had upheld their convictions on the basis of military necessity. In the early 1980s, researcher Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig and legal historian Peter Irons discovered declassified documents verifying that the government had withheld information showing that there was no military necessity in the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans. Soon after, legal teams were assembled and identical coram nobis petitions were filed in three separate federal district courts on behalf of Hirabayashi, Korematsu, and Yasui. All three wartime convictions were subsequently vacated.

Redress and reparations (954)
Legal cases/coram nobis cases (204)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Frank Chuman, Coram nobis cases, Charles Fahy, Final Report, Japanese Evacuation from the West Coast, 1942 (book), Marilyn Hall Patel

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204 items
Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu, Petitioner, v. United States of America, Respondent (ddr-csujad-55-2001)
doc Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu, Petitioner, v. United States of America, Respondent (ddr-csujad-55-2001)
Proceedings from the petition of Fred Korematsu for writ of error coram nobis and the government's motion to vacate conviction and dismiss indictment of Korematsu before the honorable Marilyn Hall Patel. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_2104
Kathryn Bannai Interview Segment 9 (ddr-sjacl-2-38-9)
vh Kathryn Bannai Interview Segment 9 (ddr-sjacl-2-38-9)
Work as an attorney for the Gordon Hirabayashi coram nobis case
Minoru Yasui Interview Segment 14 (ddr-densho-1012-3-14)
vh Minoru Yasui Interview Segment 14 (ddr-densho-1012-3-14)
The importance of the coram nobis cases (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in …

Peter Irons Interview Segment 11 (ddr-densho-1012-16-11)
vh Peter Irons Interview Segment 11 (ddr-densho-1012-16-11)
Uncovering proof of suppression of evidence in the Korematsu case (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or …

Peter Irons Interview Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1012-16-15)
vh Peter Irons Interview Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1012-16-15)
Initial reactions to the judge's ruling in the Korematsu case (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or …

Gordon Hirabayashi Interview Segment 14 (ddr-densho-1012-2-14)
vh Gordon Hirabayashi Interview Segment 14 (ddr-densho-1012-2-14)
Thoughts on postwar reopening of case (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this …

Gordon Hirabayashi Interview Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1012-2-12)
vh Gordon Hirabayashi Interview Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1012-2-12)
The significance of the coram nobis cases (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in …

Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 1 (ddr-densho-1012-8-1)
vh Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 1 (ddr-densho-1012-8-1)
Fred Korematsu's decision to bring the coram nobis case (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations …

Dale Minami Interview I Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1012-6-4)
vh Dale Minami Interview I Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1012-6-4)
Fred Korematsu's refusal to accept a presidential pardon (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed …

Dale Minami Interview I Segment 2 (ddr-densho-1012-6-2)
vh Dale Minami Interview I Segment 2 (ddr-densho-1012-6-2)
Deciding how to proceed in the Korematsu case (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed …

Dale Minami Interview I Segment 3 (ddr-densho-1012-6-3)
vh Dale Minami Interview I Segment 3 (ddr-densho-1012-6-3)
The media's reaction to the Korematsu decision (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in …

Dale Minami Interview I Segment 1 (ddr-densho-1012-6-1)
vh Dale Minami Interview I Segment 1 (ddr-densho-1012-6-1)
First thoughts on the Korematsu decision (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this …

Dale Minami Interview II Segment 5 (ddr-densho-1012-7-5)
vh Dale Minami Interview II Segment 5 (ddr-densho-1012-7-5)
The coram nobis cases and the redress movement (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed …

Gordon Hirabayashi - Jim Hirabayashi Interview Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1012-9-4)
vh Gordon Hirabayashi - Jim Hirabayashi Interview Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1012-9-4)
Gordon Hirabayashi's decision to reopen his case (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in …

Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 1 (ddr-densho-1012-14-1)
vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 1 (ddr-densho-1012-14-1)
Initial reaction to the government's request to vacate Fred Korematsu's conviction (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions …

Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 2 (ddr-densho-1012-14-2)
vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 2 (ddr-densho-1012-14-2)
Moving forward with Fred Korematsu's coram nobis petition (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed …

Roger Daniels Interview Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1012-17-17)
vh Roger Daniels Interview Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1012-17-17)
The impact of the coram nobis cases (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in …

Aiko Herzig Interview Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1002-8-18)
vh Aiko Herzig Interview Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1002-8-18)
Working with Peter Irons to find evidence of governmental misconduct during World War II

This interview was conducted by sisters Emiko and Chizuko Omori for their 1999 documentary, Rabbit in the Moon, about the Japanese American resisters of conscience in the World War II incarceration camps. As a result, the interviews in this collection are …

Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 6 (ddr-densho-1000-181-6)
vh Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 6 (ddr-densho-1000-181-6)
Feelings upon winning 1983 coram nobis case

Due to technical difficulties and conditions at the time of taping, there is loud background noise in this interview.

Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 19 (ddr-densho-1000-181-19)
vh Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 19 (ddr-densho-1000-181-19)
Feelings upon hearing the coram nobis verdict

Due to technical difficulties and conditions at the time of taping, there is loud background noise in this interview.

Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 20 (ddr-densho-1000-181-20)
vh Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 20 (ddr-densho-1000-181-20)
Helping fundraise for the coram nobis legal team

Due to technical difficulties and conditions at the time of taping, there is loud background noise in this interview.

Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-181-18)
vh Fred Korematsu - Kathryn Korematsu Interview Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-181-18)
First being contacted by Peter Irons

Due to technical difficulties and conditions at the time of taping, there is loud background noise in this interview.

Gordon Hirabayashi Interview V Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-115-18)
vh Gordon Hirabayashi Interview V Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-115-18)
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacates the conviction, but does not overturn the Supreme Court ruling
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