BY KAREN BOSSICK

In the midst of World War II, three Japanese Americans resisted federal orders that led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast of the United States following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Supreme Court affirmed their convictions, declaring that the orders were constitutional. But, 40 years later, Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu and Minoru Yasui reopened their cases, offering proof that the government had lied to the Court.

Three attorneys from the Hirabayashi, Korematsu and Yasui legal teams will discuss the overturning of their wartime criminal convictions for civil disobedience and the implications for today on Oct. 9 at Ketchum’s Community Library.

The lecture will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9. It will feature attorneys Kathryn Bannai, Lorraine Bannai and Peggy Nagae in a discussion moderated by Melissa Davlin, host of Idaho Public Television’s Idaho Reports.

It’s part of the 2025 Civil Liberties Symposium being presented by Friends of Minidoka and Minidoka National Historic Site. Minidoka, which lies between Sun Valley and Twin Falls,  served as a concentration camp for 13,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

The symposium is an annual program.

Reservations to see the discussion in person can be made at  https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/14164218. The program also will be livestreamed, available to watch at https://vimeo.com/event/5372546.

Lorraine Bannai, who challenged the infamous case of Korematsu v. United States, has co-authored numerous amicus briefs in civil rights cases, including one in Hedge v. Obama, a case challenging National Defense Authorization Act provisions permitting the indefinite detention of individuals without due process. She also challenged the Muslim travel ban in Trump v. Hawaii. She has co-authored the book “Race, Rights and National Security: Law and the Japanese American Incarceration.”

Kathryn Bannai was lead counsel in Hirabayashi’s Coram Nobis Case case from 1982 to 1985. And Peggy Nagae the lead attorney for Minoru Yasui, served on the JACL National Redress committee, which formulated Congressional legislation for reparations and passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.

The program at The Community Library is one of three programs being offered as part of the 2025 Civil Liberties Symposium. Others:

October 7, 4:30 to 5:45 p.m.--University of Idaho College of Law, Room 114, 501 W. Front Street, Boise

A special event for University of Idaho College of Law students, faculty, and the legal community. Conversation with Kathryn Bannai, Lorraine Bannai, and Peggy Nagae. Discussion moderated by Wendy Olson, a former U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho. No registration required.

October 8, 5:30 - 8 p.m.--The Egyptian Theatre, 700 W. Main Street, Boise

Film screening, Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066 by Jon Osaki followed by discussion with Kathryn Bannai, Lorraine Bannai, and Peggy Nagae moderated by Melissa Davlin. The program is free but tickets are required, available at https://www.showclix.com/event/2025-civil-liberties-symposium-10-08-25.