The acronym SDS stood for Students for a Democratic Society, a student activist movement in the United States during the 1960's. SDS was considered the origin for the "New Left Wing" movement. It also heavily influenced "hippie" culture as well. It's members were outspoken opponents of many of the government's policies at the time: they were vehemently against the Cold War and the nuclear arms race as well as the Vietnam War. They also criticized racial discrimination, economic inequality, big businesses, trade unions, and political parties. The SDS has also been a large influence on past and current nonviolent civil disobedience movements.
The defendants argue that the court's US flag has fringes, thereby making it a military tribunal. This is not a mistake against the show. There are anti-government groups, called Sovereign Citizens, who falsely believe such a defense. They also state any courts in the US are either military operated, or that the only courts are US Martitime or Admiralty courts. Both of which they claim the government has no jurisdiction over them.
While the use of fringes on US flags is a military tradition going back to as early as 1835, it wasn't made official until 1895 for flags representing US Army regiments. Case law has stated that fringes on any US flags, including those seen in courthouses, are purely decorative. The use, or absence, of fringes does not change the flag's purpose, nor does it change the type of court in which they reside.
While the use of fringes on US flags is a military tradition going back to as early as 1835, it wasn't made official until 1895 for flags representing US Army regiments. Case law has stated that fringes on any US flags, including those seen in courthouses, are purely decorative. The use, or absence, of fringes does not change the flag's purpose, nor does it change the type of court in which they reside.
This episode appears to be based on several different cases/incidents:
- The 1968 Chicago Seven case. The Chicago Seven (originally Chicago Eight, also Conspiracy Eight/Conspiracy Seven) were seven defendants-Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner-charged by the United States federal government with conspiracy, crossing state lines with intent to incite a riot, and other charges related to anti-Vietnam War and countercultural protests in Chicago, Illinois during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The Chicago Eight became the Chicago Seven after the case against co-defendant Bobby Seale was declared a mistrial during the trial. All of the defendants were charged with and acquitted of conspiracy; Hoffman, Rubin, Dellinger, Hayden, and Davis were charged with and convicted of crossing state lines with intent to incite a riot; Froines and Weiner were charged with teaching demonstrators how to construct incendiary devices and acquitted of those charges. All of the convictions were later reversed on appeal. While the jury deliberated, Judge Julius Hoffman convicted the defendants and their attorneys for contempt of court and sentenced them to jail sentences ranging from less than three months to more than four years. These convictions were later reversed on appeal, and some were retried before a different judge.
- The 1969-1971 Panther 21 case. The Panther 21 is a group of twenty-one Black Panther members who were arrested and accused of planned coordinated bombing and long-range rifle attacks on two police stations and an education office in New York City in 1969, who were all acquitted by a jury in May 1971, after revelations during the trial that police infiltrators played key organising roles. Among the defendants were Afeni Shakur, Lumumba Shakur, Ali Bey Hassan, Michael Tabor, Dhoruba al-Mujahid bin Wahad, Jamal Joseph, Abayama Katara, Baba Odinga, Joan Bird, Robert Collier, Sundiata Acoli, Lonnie Epps, Curtis Powell, Kuwasi Balagoon, Richard Harris, Lee Berry, Lee Roper, and Kwando Kinshasa (William King), and Thomas Berry. The trial eventually collapsed and the twenty-one members were acquitted of all charges.
- The 1981 Brink's robbery. On October 20, 1981, six Black Liberation Army members: Mutulu Shakur, Kuwasi Balagoon, Solomon Bouines (Samuel Brown), Mtayari Shabaka Sundiata, Edward Joseph, and Cecilio "Chui" Ferguson; and four former members of the Weather Underground, now belonging to the May 19th Communist Organization, consisting of David Gilbert, Judith Alice Clark, Kathy Boudin, and Marilyn Buck stole $1.6 million in cash from a Brink's armored car at the Nanuet Mall, in Nanuet, New York. They killed Brinks guard, Peter Paige as well as seriously wounding Brinks guard Joseph Trombino and slightly wounding Brinks truck driver guard, James Kelly. Subsequently, they killed two Nyack police officers, Edward O'Grady and Waverly Brown, as well as seriously wounding Police Detective Artie Keenan.The first to be tried were Donald Weems (aka Kuwasi Balagoon) and 19 May Communists David Gilbert and Judith Alice Clark amid a heavy police presence. They represented themselves and were given three consecutive 25-year to life sentences. Weems said, "As to the 75 years in prison, I am not really worried because the State simply isn't going to last 75 or even 50 years." He died of Aids on 13 December 1986. Boudin was sentenced to 20 years to life. She was paroled in 2003. Samuel Brown was sentenced to 75 years to life. Williams was jailed for 60 years in 1988.
- The 1997 North Hollywood shootout. On February 28, 1997, two heavily armed and armored bank robbers, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Matasareanu, were involved in a police shootout in the North Hollywood district of LA. Both robbers were killed, 12 police officers and eight civilians were injured, and numerous vehicles and other property were damaged or destroyed by the nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition fired by the robbers and police.
- The nationwide outrage of right-wing extremists following events like the Ruby Ridge standoff and the Waco siege.
- The rise of militia organizations in the United States.
- The purported connection between the Aryan Republican Army and the Oklahoma City bombing.
Denis O'Hare has played four different characters over the course of the series.
- Episode 4.2 Volunteers (1993) - Harold Morrissey.
- Episode 6.21 Pro Se (1996) - James Smith.
- Episode 8.5 Nullification (1997) - Phil Christie.
- Episode 13.12 Under God (2003) - Father Richard Hogan.