 The first trial , held in New York in 1949 , was one of the lengthiest trials in American history . Large numbers of supporters of the defendants protested outside the courthouse on a daily basis . The trial featured twice on the cover of Time magazine . The defense frequently antagonized the judge and prosecution , and five defendants were jailed for contempt of court because they disrupted the proceedings . The prosecution 's case relied on undercover informants who described the goals of the CPUSA , interpreted communist texts , and testified that they believed the CPUSA advocated the violent overthrow of the US government . 
