Bullock v. United States

265 F.2d 683
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 27, 1959
DocketNos. 13512, 13513
StatusPublished
Cited by59 cases

This text of 265 F.2d 683 (Bullock v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bullock v. United States, 265 F.2d 683 (6th Cir. 1959).

Opinion

ALLEN, Chief Judge.

These appeals grew out of proceedings charging appellants and others with criminal contempt under Title 18 U.S.C. § 401(3). The contempt proceedings were heard as one case in the District Court, severance having been denied. The appeals were argued separately before this court on behalf of appellants Bullock, et al., hereinafter called Bullock (Appeal No. 13,512), and by appellant Kasper (Appeal No. 13,513). Many questions raised by Bullock and by Kas-per are identical and will be discussed in general without designation of particular parties. A motion for judgment of acquittal was made by all defendants and denied and the case was submitted to the jury. Four of the persons charged were acquitted, but the jury found defendants Bullock, Brantley, Brakebill, Cook, Currier, Till and Kasper guilty of criminal contempt under Title 18 U.S.C. § 401(3). The District Court entered a judgment sentencing all appellants for criminal contempt of court.

The court held that appellants had violated an order of the District Court issued January 4, 1956, in McSwain v. County Board of Education of Ander[687]*687son County, Tennessee, D. C., 138 F. Supp. 570, requiring the discontinuance of racial segregation in Clinton High School, Clinton, Anderson County, Tennessee, by the fall term of 1956. Pursuant to this order such integration was put into effect by the school executives and teachers. Twelve negroes were enrolled in a school having approximately 800 white pupils.

August 25, 1956, Kasper came to Clinton, and thereafter tried to induce various persons to oppose the obedience of the school officials to the order, and threatened to have the principal of the school ousted. Kasper took other steps aimed at preventing the effectiveness of integration and achieving the restoration of segregation in the high school, helping to set up widespread organizations for this purpose among the citizens and the high school students.

On the petition of D. J. Brittain, Jr., principal of the high school, and others, the court on August 29, 1956, issued a temporary restraining order against one John Kasper and others, enjoining them, “their agents, servants, representatives, attorneys, and all other persons who are acting or may act in concert with them * * * from further hindering, obstructing, or in anywise interfering with the carrying out of the aforesaid order of this Court [the integration order of the court issued January 4, 1956], or from picketing Clinton High School, either by words or acts or otherwise.” None of the appellants in the Bullock group were named in this order. The temporary restraining order was personally served on Kasper on August 29. Thereafter, a preliminary injunction issued upon hearing and after further hearing by the District Court the injunction was made permanent on September 6, 1956.

On December 5, 1956, the United States Attorney filed a petition charging the Bullock group and others with criminal contempt for violating the injunction and on that date an order of attachment was issued by the court describing In detail certain alleged acts of criminal contempt and ordering that the persons named be apprehended and tried.

On February 25, 1957, the court ex parte issued an amended order of attachment stating that the present appellants and others had actual notice of the permanent injunction of September 6, 1956, and that the present appellants and others had, during the months of November and December, 1956, “entered into an agreement or agreements to violate and to cause others to violate” the injunction, and that these appellants and others in active concert and participation with Frederick John Kasper had violated the permanent injunction in respects set out in the amended order. Under this amended order Gates and Kasper were arrested and given bail. The trial started July 8, 1957. The overt acts referred to in the amended order of attachment were not the same as the acts charged in the original attachment order. It was charged in the amended order of attachment (1) that on or about November 27, 28, 29, 30, and December 3 and 4, 1956, appellants and others congregated in a threatening manner along the route to the Clinton High School taken by negro students and intimidated them from attending Clinton High School. Charge 2 was dropped because John Gates died before the trial. It was charged (3) that on December 4, 1956, when Rev. Paul Turner escorted the negro students to the school, he was vilified, attacked and badly beaten by appellants.

Evidence as to the following facts was shown at the trial: For a number of days in September and for several days in the latter part of November, 1956, all local newspapers and radio and television stations gave great publicity to the temporary restraining order issued by the District Court on August 29, 1956. These broadcasts and newspaper articles made it plain that the injunction prohibited interference with the integration of Clinton High School and the picketing of Clinton High School.

During the week following August 27, 1956, there was considerable disturbance outside the high school. Enrollment [688]*688dropped greatly but thereafter, until the end of November, the problems subsided and attendance rose. On November 27 or 28 appellants Brakebill, Brant-ley and Bullock stationed themselves at the street intersection which the negro children had to pass to reach the high school. Appellants remained until 8:30, the opening hour for school, or until 8:45 a. m. This surveillance was repeated every day for the remainder of the week. The negro children did not come to school. On Monday, December 3, appellants appeared again at the same place. Cook and Bullock made abusive remarks about Rev. Turner, the integra-tionist who planned to accompany the negro children to the school. Rev. Bullock stated that if the negro children were not taken out of the school someone would get killed.

On Tuesday, December 4, many cars were parked in the area of the road leading from the negro section to the school. Bullock, Cook and Rev. Turner were present. Cook told Rev. Turner that they wouldn’t let him get away with escorting the negro children to the school. The chief of police asked Bullock to leave before there was trouble, but Bullock refused, stating, “You want me to leave so that you can bring these colored children down here to school.” Bullock said that he was up there “to keep us ‘nigger lovers’ from taking those ‘niggers’ to school” and that he would keep the white school white and there would be trouble. Later the same morning Rev. Turner and two other men escorted the negro children through the crowd to the school. Brakebill, Cook and Currier made threatening statements to the negro children and to the men escorting them and followed Turner and the children down the hill, obscene remarks being made. After Turner had escorted the negro children to the school and come back there was more abusive language from Brakebill, Bullock and Currier. Turner walked on and Cook attacked him. Turner backed away but was followed and Cook struck Turner, who was unarmed. Turner pushed his way through the crowd to an automobile and was pounded against the fender. Turner fell on his knees and his head was pushed against the fender while the crowd yelled “Kill him.” The police came and arrested Cook.

Appellants did not deny this testimony.

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Bluebook (online)
265 F.2d 683, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bullock-v-united-states-ca6-1959.