NAACP

__**NAACP v Alabama**__

__Background__ In the state of Alabama, there is a statute in place that requires all foreign businesses to qualify to the state, but The NAACP, headquartered in New York City, believed they were exempt from this statute. Alabama sought to ban the organization from continuing business in its state, but The NAACP refused. The case was sent to the Supreme Court, but before the court date, Alabama subpoenaed The NAACP to hand over certain records including lists of the organizations members.

__Constitutional Issue__ Is it constitutional for the state to subpoena the organization to hand over the documents?

__Decision__ The Court determined in favor of the NAACP. They decided that, " Immunity from state scrutiny of petitioner's membership lists is here so related to the right of petitioner's members to pursue their lawful private interests privately and to associate freely with others in doing so as to come within the protection of the Fourteenth Amendment." They also decided that being in the group, since it promotes new ideas and beliefs, is part of the due process claus. The state was unable to obtain the list of names, because the court believed it could interfere with the members ability to freely be in the organization.