Inniss v. Municipal Court

Carlton Inniss, an attorney at law, seeks a writ of certiorari to review an order of the respondent court holding him in contempt and sentencing him to pay a fine of $500 or serve five days in jail.

Petitioner appeared as counsel on behalf of several defendants charged with misdemeanors. The defendants had been arrested for “sitting-in” during certain civil rights demonstrations in San Francisco. On Friday, June 12, 1964, during the process of jury selection, petitioner informed the court that he had a trial in Alameda County on Monday, June 15, 1964, which would prevent him from being present…