Ex Parte Meyers

Petition for writ of habeas corpus. Petitioner is the proprietor of a billiard and pool room in the city of Los Angeles, and was arrested by the chief of police of that city upon a charge of violating section 2 of ordinance 9671, entitled, an “Ordinance prohibiting minors from visiting gambling-houses, public billiard and pool rooms, houses of ill-fame, or retail liquor establishments.” As disclosed by the petition, the complaint, upon which the warrant of arrest was based, charges the applicant with suffering and permitting K. C. Oliver, a person of the age of twenty years (under the age of twenty-one years) to be in, remain in, enter and visit the billiard and pool room conducted by him.

The petition sets out that K. C. Oliver was a law clerk in the office of H. C. Millsap, an attorney at law. That said Millsap desired the petitioner to sign a document which had been prepared for his signature and sent Oliver as a messenger to take the paper to Meyers, and that the latter suffered and permitted Oliver to remain in his said place of business while he read and signed the said document.

The ordinance is claimed to be illegal and void because (1) in conflict with the provisions of…