September 18, 1952
Move over men, and let women sit in those jury boxes.
That's the battle cry of an El Paso housewife, Mrs. William Tolle of 3600 Fillmore street, who has just started a one-woman campaign to change Texas Law to let women serve on juries.
She is circulating a petition asking that the legislature do right by the women jurors at the next session. It will be submitted to El Paso legislators and State Senator-elect Rutherford of Odessa.
Mrs. Tolle got Mr. Rutherford's signature on her petition. She also got signatures from numerous delegates to the Texas State Sheriffs' Assn. convention.
"I believe women not only should be permitted but should be required to serve on juries," Mrs. Tolle said.
"I didn't know they couldn't be on juries in Texas until the other day. Then I read that a woman had been summoned for jury duty by mistake but wouldn't be allowed to serve. That roused me up.
"I went to see Justice Ward of the County Court at Law. He said he had seen cases that needed women jurors."
Mrs. Tolle has two sons, Bruce, 10, and Floyd, 5. Little Floyd tags along as she seeks out and button-holes perspective signers.
"I work at it when I'm not doing housework," she remarked.
Her husband is an electronics instructor at Ft. Bliss.
"He agrees with me about women jurors," Mrs. Tolle said. "But he isn't active in the campaign."
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