Changes

Under United States law, [[jury trial]]s are guaranteed for alleged violators of civil rights injunctions when punishing for criminal contempt, although not in the circumstance for bringing about civil contempt actions.<ref name=caro/> However, the introduced amendment guaranteed jury trials even in proceedings pertaining to civil contempt.

Under United States law, [[jury trial]]s are guaranteed for alleged violators of civil rights injunctions when punishing for criminal contempt, although not in the circumstance for bringing about civil contempt actions.<ref name=caro/> However, the introduced amendment guaranteed jury trials even in proceedings pertaining to civil contempt.

The motivation for [[Wyoming]] Democrat [[Joseph O'Mahoney]] to introduce the amendment was based on Western liberal populist roots.<ref name=caro/> Due to judges having traditionally shut down labor union power in the region, reinforcement and expansion of jury trial rights resonated with liberal Democrats from states in the area.<ref name=caro/>

The motivation for [[Wyoming]] Democrat [[Joseph O'Mahoney]] to introduce the amendment was based on Western liberal populist roots.<ref name=caro/> Due to judges having traditionally shut down labor union power in the region, reinforcement and expansion of jury trial rights resonated with liberal Democrats from states in the area. According to Lyndon Johnson biographer [[Robert A. Caro]], the amendment may have been an act of retaliation against the 1948 [[Taft-Hartley Act]].<ref name=caro/>

The amendment passed on August 2, 1957 by a 51–42 vote.<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/85-1957/s73 HR. 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957. AMENDMENT TO GUARANTEE JURY TRIALS IN ALL CASES OF CRIMINAL CONTEMPT AND PROVIDE UNIFORM METHODS FOR SELECTING FEDERAL COURT JURIES.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved August 4, 2021.</ref> 80% of Democrats voted ''yea'' on weakening the Civil Rights Act of 1957, compared to only 26% of Republicans. The Democrats who ensured the passage of the amendment were '''not''' exclusive to the Southern bloc, as a number of their Northern colleagues (who were largely [[New Deal]] [[liberals]]) including [[Mike Mansfield]], [[Warren Magnuson]] and [[James E. Murray]] supported it. Then-senator [[John F. Kennedy]] of [[Massachusetts]] initially opposed the jury trial amendment, though voted ''yea'' after being lobbied by Johnson.<ref name=kennedysandking/>

The amendment passed on August 2, 1957 by a 51–42 vote.<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/85-1957/s73 HR. 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957. AMENDMENT TO GUARANTEE JURY TRIALS IN ALL CASES OF CRIMINAL CONTEMPT AND PROVIDE UNIFORM METHODS FOR SELECTING FEDERAL COURT JURIES.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved August 4, 2021.</ref> 80% of Democrats voted ''yea'' on weakening the Civil Rights Act of 1957, compared to only 26% of Republicans. The Democrats who ensured the passage of the amendment were '''not''' exclusive to the Southern bloc, as a number of their Northern colleagues (who were largely [[New Deal]] [[liberals]]) including [[Mike Mansfield]], [[Warren Magnuson]] and [[James E. Murray]] supported it. Then-senator [[John F. Kennedy]] of [[Massachusetts]] initially opposed the jury trial amendment, though voted ''yea'' after being lobbied by Johnson.<ref name=kennedysandking/>