Salt Lake Telegram | 1940-11-25 | Page 2 | High Court Hits Negro Jury Ban

HIGH COURT HITS NEGRO JURY BAN WASHINGTON Nov 25 UP UPI UPI- The supreme court ruled Monday that racial discrimination resulting resulting result- result ing ng in the exclusion of qualified negroes from grand grand' Jury service not only violated the constitution I I but Is s I at et war ar with our basic concepts concepta concepts con con- of a Democratic society and anda a representative government I Justice Black delivered the unanimous decision which set eside the conviction of ot a Houston Texas negro sentenced to life me imprisonment imprisonment imprisonment im im- im- im for criminally assaulting assaulting assault assault- ing lag a B. white woman The negro Edgar Smith contended contended con con- tended he had been hem denied constitutional I rights right because members of his race had been systematically excluded from Harris county grand juries Explaining that only five of the grand gr nd jurors who served In Harris HarI county from 1931 through 1938 were negroes Black added Chance ft end and A accident nv I M nr nt alone could v Chance ft end and A accident nv I M nr nt alone could v hardly have brought about the listing for grand jury juri service of so few negroes negroes from among the thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands shown by the undisputed evidence to p possess ess the l legal gal qualifications for jury j service service- The court refused to review a decision which Georgia officials contended would seriously s endanger endanger endanger ger the successful administration i of unemployment compensation programs of 33 states The d decision slon by the Georgia supreme supreme supreme su su- su- su preme court barred the state from treating aUng two twp or more concerns WIder unde under un WI- der de the same seme me ownership or control es as a single unit in determining whether there were sufficient em em- em to warrant the colle collection tion of unemployment compensation as- as as as-