In the case of Cole et al. v. Arkansas, 1949, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of five union members who were convicted under an Arkansas statute for using violence and intimidation during a labor dispute. The defendants argued that they had not been adequately informed about what specific actions led to their charges, which violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process. The court agreed with this argument, stating that it was unconstitutional for someone to be convicted without being properly notified about what exactly they are being accused of doing wrong. This ruling emphasized the importance of clear communication in legal proceedings and reinforced individuals' constitutional rights against vague or unclear criminal accusations.

In the dissenting opinion for Cole et al. v. Arkansas, Justice Hugo Black argued that the majority's decision was a departure from established principles of due process and fair notice in criminal law. He contended that defendants were not given adequate notice of what they were being charged with, as required by the Fourteenth Amendment, because their indictments did not specify which part of an overly broad state statute they allegedly violated. Furthermore, he disagreed with the majority's view that it was acceptable for Arkansas courts to change charges after conviction without giving defendants an opportunity to defend against these new accusations. In his view, this practice undermined fundamental fairness and justice in violation of constitutional rights.