Jews Cannot Be Barred from Jury Lists, Ruling of Georgia Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the State of Georgia took a vigorous stand in checking an attempt to infringe upon the citizenship rights of citizens of the Jewish faith in that state, in handing down a decision reversing the position taken by the Superior Court of Bryan County. In handing down its ruling, the Supreme Court took occasion to denounce the Bryan Couty Jury Commissioners for excluding Jews from the Jury panels.

The Supreme Court upheld the action of C. J. Bashlor and others who sought a mandamus against a resolution adopted by the Bryan County Jury Commissioners, excluding Jews from both petit and grand jury service. The complainants charged that the Commissioners acted with "hatred, malice, and religious prejudice."

The Commissioners’ resolution affected only four Jews constituting the Jewish community in the county. The four Jews, headed by Mr. Bashlor, instituted a suit to gain the rights of usual citizenship, when the resolution became known. They lost the suit in the county superior court, which refused to force the Commissioners to revise their jury lists.

The Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s stand and criticized the Jury Commissioners. In the Supreme Court decision, it was pointed out that although the ruling affected only four persons in the county, one was the third largest taxpayer in the county, and the others were also "upright, honest and eligible."