Jury trial amendment
When the United States Senate took up the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the jury trial amendment was introduced and passed, which weakened the legislation to being effectively toothless. The scheme was masterminded by then-Senate Majority Leader (and later president) Lyndon B. Johnson, who compromised with the Southern segregationists to pass a weak bill rather than oversee a defeat under a filibuster.[1]
Following the removal of Title III which authorized additional powers for the United States Attorney General to seek preventive relief in civil rights cases,[2][3] the jury trial amendment aimed to halt any further substantial progress. It required jury trials in all cases of criminal contempt, which in the South would result in a white defendant being acquitted by their segregationist peers in practically any case where they were accused by blacks of violating voting rights.[1]
The amendment passed on August 2, 1957 by a 51–42 vote.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 DiEugenio, James (October 7, 2018). The Kennedys and Civil Rights: How the MSM Continues to Distort History, Part 2. Kennedys and King. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ↑ The Civil Rights Act of 1957. US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ↑ HR. 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957. AMENDMENT TO DELETE AUTHORITY FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SEEK PREVENTIVE RELIEF IN CIVIL RIGHTS CASES UNDER THE 14TH AMENDMENT.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ↑ HR. 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957. AMENDMENT TO GUARANTEE JURY TRIALS IN ALL CASES OF CRIMINAL CONTEMPT AND PROVIDE UNIFORM METHODS FOR SELECTING FEDERAL COURT JURIES.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
