Biography
Olava Skottedal was arrested in Babylon, Long Island, on July 15, 1950 for distributing the National Guardian and circulating an American Labor Party peace petition. The National Guardian reported that she and Martin Robbins remained free without bail while the case was dormant. At the December 13, 1950 court appearance, the prosecutor substituted a charge that barred a jury trial, and the judge set bail at $500 each. The report does not establish that Skottedal was jailed on the new charge or document a final disposition.
A January 1951 report dates the joint arrests to July 15, 1950 and says the defendants were then free without bail for five months. At the December 13, 1950 proceeding, Justice Walter Saxton presided and Assistant District Attorney Jacob Bendersky changed the charge. This account does not establish a continuous jail stay or a completed two-year sentence.
The January 24, 1951 National Guardian distinguishes the July arrest and period at liberty without bail from the December 13 hearing at which bail was set. It does not give an actual release date or establish that she entered jail after the hearing.
