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 (966)
Legal cases/coram nobis cases (204)

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204 items

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1012-6-1/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1012-6-2/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1012-6-3/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1012-6-4/

vh Kathryn Bannai Interview Segment 9 (ddr-sjacl-2-38-9)

Work as an attorney for the Gordon Hirabayashi coram nobis case

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-sjacl-2-38-9/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1002-8-18/

vh Donald K. Tamaki Interview Segment 13 (ddr-densho-1000-234-13)

Beginning work on Korematsu's coram nobis case

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-234-13/

vh Donald K. Tamaki Interview Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1000-234-17)

Working personally with Fred Korematsu

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-234-17/

vh Donald K. Tamaki Interview Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1000-234-12)

Meeting Fred Korematsu

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-234-12/

vh Donald K. Tamaki Interview Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-234-18)

Reactions to the Korematsu coram nobis verdict

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-234-18/

vh Donald K. Tamaki Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-234-16)

Description of the Korematsu coram nobis legal team

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-234-16/

vh Donald K. Tamaki Interview Segment 14 (ddr-densho-1000-234-14)

Publicity strategies employed by the Korematsu legal team

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-234-14/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 37 (ddr-densho-1000-113-37)

Finally vindicated: a victory for Fred Korematsu, the legal team, and the entire Japanese American community

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-37/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 36 (ddr-densho-1000-113-36)

Original Supreme Court decision still stands: a continued threat to our civil liberties

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-36/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 33 (ddr-densho-1000-113-33)

Importance of public education campaign in conjunction with legal efforts, working with Fred Korematsu

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-33/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 28 (ddr-densho-1000-113-28)

A case for vindication, not money, power of coalition as community comes together seeking redress at the same time

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-28/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 27 (ddr-densho-1000-113-27)

Explanation of legal procedure used in reopening case, writ of error coram nobis, assessing the risks, and support from the community

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-27/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 35 (ddr-densho-1000-113-35)

Supportive Japanese American community provides financial and emotional support for legal team and also appreciation for long-awaited vindication

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-35/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 26 (ddr-densho-1000-113-26)

Opportunity to work on "a case of a lifetime," meeting the "cultural icon" Fred Korematsu

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-26/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 30 (ddr-densho-1000-113-30)

Formation of the original legal team, "a very personal case to all of us"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-30/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 25 (ddr-densho-1000-113-25)

Explanation of Korematsu v. US (1944), and of new, powerful evidence instigating the reopening of the case

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-25/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 29 (ddr-densho-1000-113-29)

Taking on the case with optimism, "We had no idea what we were getting into"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-29/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 34 (ddr-densho-1000-113-34)

Government offers a pardon, Fred Korematsu stands firm and refuses to accept: "Why should I accept a pardon? ... I should be pardoning the government"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-34/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 39 (ddr-densho-1000-113-39)

Life after Korematsu: teaching law, community involvement, passing on lessons of tolerance and social responsibilities to children

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-39/

vh Lorraine Bannai Interview Segment 38 (ddr-densho-1000-113-38)

Lessons learned from work on Korematsu: critical perspective of the law, value of coalition work, and importance of being a good lawyer

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-113-38/