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Charles Weller recall, San Francisco, California (1913)

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Charles Weller recall
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Officeholders
Charles Weller
Recall status
Recall approved
Recall election date
April 22, 1913
See also
Recall overview
Political recall efforts, 1913
Recalls in California
California recall laws
Special district recalls
Recall reports

An election to recall San Francisco Police Court Judge Charles Weller was held on April 22, 1913. Voters recalled Weller. He was the first judge to be recalled in the United States.[1]

Recall vote

Weller was removed from office by a vote of 30,784 to 29,934. He was replaced by Wiley F. Crist.[1]

Recall supporters

The recall effort was initiated after Weller reduced the bail of a local businessman from $3,000 to $1,000. The man had been charged with assaulting a sixteen-year-old girl.[1][2]

The Recall League of San Francisco was created to organize the recall. The Oceanside Women's Club and Women's Political League were also involved in the recall effort.[1][3]

Crist, who replaced Weller, said, "The campaign was not aimed at Judge Weller solely, but rather at the system which has been increasing instead of decreasing the commission of crime. And the recall of Judge Weller signifies that the people no longer have the superstitious awe of our judicial oligarchy that has existed in the past."[1]

Recall opponents

Weller argued that he had been following a custom. He said he had not created it and that he wasn't responsible for it.[1]

The Bar Association was one of the organizations that opposed the recall.[1]

See also

External links

Footnotes