CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957 Public Law 85–315, as amended 71 Stat. 634, as amended CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957 315 85-315 Statute Compilation United States House of Representatives Office of the Legislative Counsel text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. GPO Statute Compilations USLM converter, version 20210527.1 2021-10-15 Civil Rights Act of 1957 340 85 1957-09-09 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957 [Public Law 85–315; 71 Stat. 634] [As Amended Through P.L. 85-315, Enacted September 9, 1957] [Currency: This publication is a compilation of Public Law 83-315. It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/] [Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204).]
AN ACTTo provide means for further securing and protecting the civil rights of persons within the jurisdiction of the United States. Part I—Establishment of the Commission on Civil Rights [Part I, consisting of sections 101 through 106, has been superseded by the United States Commission on Civil Rights Act of 1983, supra.] Part II—To Provide for an Additional Assistant Attorney General [Section 111 Created an Additional Assistant Attorney General.] Part III—To Strengthen the Civil Rights Statutes, and for Other Purposes
Sec. 121. [Amends 28 U.S.C. 1343.]
Sec. 122. [Repeals §1989 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1993).]
Part IV—To Provide Means of Further Securing and Protecting the Right To Vote
Sec. 131. [Amends Sec. 2004 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1971).]
Part V—To Provide Trial by Jury for Proceedings To Punish Criminal Contempts of Court Growing Out of Civil Rights Cases and To Amend the Judicial Code Relating to Federal Jury Qualifications
Sec. 151. In all cases of criminal contempt arising under the provisions of this Act, the accused, upon conviction, shall be punished by fine or imprisonment or both: Provided however, That in case the accused is a natural person the fine to be paid shall not exceed the sum of $1,000, nor shall imprisonment exceed the term of six months: Provided further, That in any such proceeding for criminal contempt, at the discretion of the judge, the accused may be tried with or without a jury: Provided further, however, That in the event such proceeding for criminal contempt be tried before a judge without a jury and the sentence of the court upon conviction is a fine in excess of the sum of $300 or imprisonment in excess of forty-five days, the accused in said proceeding, upon demand therefor, shall be entitled to a trial de novo before a jury, which shall conform as near as may be to the practice in other criminal cases. This section shall not apply to contempts committed in the presence of the court or so near thereto as to interfere directly with the administration of justice nor to the misbehavior, misconduct, or disobedience, of any officer of the court in respect to the writs, orders, or process of the court. Nor shall anything herein or in any other provision of law be construed to deprive courts of their power, by civil contempt proceedings, without a jury, to secure compliance with or to prevent obstruction of, as distinguished from punishment for violations of, any lawful writ, process, order, rule, decree, or command of the court in accordance with the prevailing usages of law and equity, including the power of detention.
Sec. 152. [Amends 28 U.S.C. 1861.]
Sec. 161. This Act may be cited as the “Civil Rights Act of 1957” [52 U.S.C. 10101 note].