Savio Goes to Jail

Giving jury trials to the 773 students arrested in last December's students' uprising on the Berkeley campus of the University of California would be one massive judicial headache, tying up the court and at least some of the students through next summer. Instead, Berkeley Municipal Court Judge Rupert Crittenden has been permitting the defend ants to file through court and waive their rights to a jury, thus leaving ver dicts to him. Periodically he asked them whether they understood that they were giving up a constitutional right. One day last week he put the question to Mario Savio, leader of the Free Speech Movement that inspired the rioting.

Replied Savio: "I understand fully the shameless hypocrisy to which the court has been reduced." After an electric silence, Crittenden asked Savio if he cared to repeat his statement. Savio did, and louder. "Mr. Savio," said the judge, "I'm going to cite you for contempt of court." Savio spent 28 hours in jail. His followers predictably held a mass rally to protest the court's action.

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