Jailed Teens Work at Saving Cellmate!
The Daily Pilot, California
February 20, 1969, North America
Jailed, but free from cares of the secular world, 16 members of Huntington Beach’s militant Teens for Christ group today are campaigning to convert other fellow prisoners, with 38 days to work at it.
Efforts by Public Defender James Lang to win release of the four girls and 12 men on a no-bail promise to appear for jury trials April 1 in Harbor District Judicial Court were rebuffed Wednesday.
Judge Calvin Schmidt refused to reduce the $65 bail set for each of the defendants, aged 18 to 22, arrested Monday while demonstrating at Maude B. Davis Intermediate School in Costa Mesa.
“That Judge Schmidt seemed to have a hardboiled attitude towards us the minute we entered the courtroom,” said Uncle Dave Berg the 49-year old Teens for Christ spiritual advisor whose son, Paul, 21, is among those held.
Judge Schmidt ordered all 16 returned to Orange County Jail until they post bail or eventually appear for jury trial on three particular charges.
“This is the first time I haven’t really been worried about the,” continued Rev. Berg “they seem to be enjoying themselves in jail and it’s almost like a vacation.”
“On the outside, they have dishes, laundry, picketing and their other work to do, but now they have more time for Bible study, memorizing Scriptures and witnessing than ever,” he added.
Fellow inmates will doubtless receive one of the most thorough-going opportunities in jail history for conversion to Christ’s teachings.
“In fact, we had a jail party Wednesday night—all of us went down and signed in and got to see them all,” said the leader of the sect, headquartered at 110 Main St., Huntington Beach.