Examiner Reports ACLU Press Conference with Arrested Lawyers
Dublin Core
Title
Examiner Reports ACLU Press Conference with Arrested Lawyers
Description
San Francisco Examiner, January 6, 1965, page 12.
Source
Repository: GLBT Historical Society
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Arrested Lawyers To Fight
Protest Police Action at Ball
Three attorneys retained to advise the Council for Religion and the Homosexual yesterday protested their arrest during the council's fund-raising ball last Friday night in California Hall.
Attorneys Herbert Donaldson, Evander Smith, and Elliot Leighton, appearing at a conference called by the American Civil Liberties Union, reiterated their intention to fight charges of interfering with a police officer.
The council is a new organization formed by seven Protestant ministers in The City, for the purpose of orienting the clergy on aspects of homosexuality and opening channels of communication between the community and homosexuals.
Not Abusive
"There was no physical contact after the officers appeared," explained Leighton. "We were not abusive in our language. The facts are that we were retained by the ministerial committee to advise them on moves against possible police harassment. We were present to advise them on their legal rights. No unlawful act was being committed at the time of our arrest."
The three attorneys, it was announced, will be defended by Attorney Marshal Kruase, representing the Civil Liberties Union. The ministerial group earlier had accused police of "deliberate harassment."
Private Affair
Leighton insisted that "this was a private affair. There were no ticket sellers at the door, as police have asserted. Those at the door were checking a list of invited guests."
Referring to Mayor John F. Shelley's criticism of the event, Leighton said "they Mayor is overlooking the fact that this was a church-sponsored function, to assist in the integration of homosexuals and thus avert a homosexual problem in San Francisco.
"Police cameramen took photographs of everybody coming out of the hall that night," Leighton added. "We feel this was an intimidation. Donaldson and I were whisked away and not told why we were under arrest."
Protest Police Action at Ball
Three attorneys retained to advise the Council for Religion and the Homosexual yesterday protested their arrest during the council's fund-raising ball last Friday night in California Hall.
Attorneys Herbert Donaldson, Evander Smith, and Elliot Leighton, appearing at a conference called by the American Civil Liberties Union, reiterated their intention to fight charges of interfering with a police officer.
The council is a new organization formed by seven Protestant ministers in The City, for the purpose of orienting the clergy on aspects of homosexuality and opening channels of communication between the community and homosexuals.
Not Abusive
"There was no physical contact after the officers appeared," explained Leighton. "We were not abusive in our language. The facts are that we were retained by the ministerial committee to advise them on moves against possible police harassment. We were present to advise them on their legal rights. No unlawful act was being committed at the time of our arrest."
The three attorneys, it was announced, will be defended by Attorney Marshal Kruase, representing the Civil Liberties Union. The ministerial group earlier had accused police of "deliberate harassment."
Private Affair
Leighton insisted that "this was a private affair. There were no ticket sellers at the door, as police have asserted. Those at the door were checking a list of invited guests."
Referring to Mayor John F. Shelley's criticism of the event, Leighton said "they Mayor is overlooking the fact that this was a church-sponsored function, to assist in the integration of homosexuals and thus avert a homosexual problem in San Francisco.
"Police cameramen took photographs of everybody coming out of the hall that night," Leighton added. "We feel this was an intimidation. Donaldson and I were whisked away and not told why we were under arrest."
Citation
“Examiner Reports ACLU Press Conference with Arrested Lawyers”, The Council on Religion and the Homosexual, LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed May 18, 2024, https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/exhibits/show/crh/item/1787.