Biography: Morris L. Ernst

Malcolm A. Hoffman discusses his recollections of the attorney Morris L. Ernst, born August 23, 1888, died May 1976, who was most famous for his defense of the censorship case against by James Joyce. Hoffman discusses Ernst's physical characteristics and mannerisms. He mentions that despite Hoffman's work in co-founding the American Civil Liberties Union and his anti-censorship stance, he was accused of being a spy for J. Edgar Hoover. Ernst was the representative of Rafael Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic who was accused of murdering Jesús María Galindez. Ernst also represented Frank Costello, a New York organized crime boss arrested for tax evasion. Because Hoffman knew Ernst later in his career, he did not have a lot to say about the case, although he did mention Ernst's autobiographies and as good sources for information about the case. Hoffman finally touches upon his perceptions of Ernst's views on the definition of pornography and its relationship to First Amendment rights.