June 1912 - Kept Off Jury, Women In Arms

In that same June 18, 1912 newspaper there was another article with headlines, Kept Off Jury, Women In Arms. Sacramento, June 17, 1912 -- "Six women summoned as prospective jurors in a justice's court in Broderick, a suburb, and dismissed from service on motion of the attorney for the defense, are up in arms over what they consider an affront to their citizenship and are planning a mass meeting of protest.

"The dismissal was secured on a legal objection based on a ruling recently made by attorney General Webb to the effect that women are ineligible for jury service. Web found nothing in the new suffrage law giving women the right to act as jurors and held that jury service could not be considered as a political right, but as a duty of citizenship that may be imposed on any or all citizens.

"In the absence of any law imposting such a duty, he gave as his opinion that an objection to women serving as jurors might lie at any time. The summoning of the women as prospective jurors today was planned by Constable Russell as a surprise, but it was a surprise that did not appeal to all the parties concerned.

"T. Marayhia brought suit against William Henley for a load of hay. Marayhia has been renting Henley's barn, but recently the rent was raised and he refused to pay it. Henley is alleged to have taken a load of the plaintiff's hay in payment without the latter's permission.

"In summoning tales men for the case Constable Russell took the names of six women front he last poll book. They were promptly dismissed upon the objection of Henley's attorney and have been voicing their own objections ever since." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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