Ex Parte Ruef

It appears in this ease that bail has been fixed in certain criminal proceedings pending in the superior court of the city and county of San Francisco under several indictments against defendant. It further appears that the judge of the superior court in whose department the proceedings are pending, while examining sureties offered by defendant on his various bonds, declined and refused to accept anyone as surety unless such surety was the owner of real estate equal in amount to the sum for which he desired to qualify upon such bond, and for which he was to become liable; and further, that such judge refused to hear or consider the financial responsibility of any relative of the prisoner, or to receive any such relative on the bond, no matter what amount of property such relative might possess in his own name. It further appears that the hearing as to the qualification of the proposed sureties on the several bonds has been heretofore continued from time to time by the judge of said court against the protest and objection of the prisoner, the last hearing being continued from June 27th to July 3d, 1908. It further appears that the judge of said court directed his reporter not to…