The Criminal Division of the Department of Justice is responsible for the prosecution of criminal cases throughout the State from misdemeanors to murders. Its mission is to represent the State in criminal cases, and in so doing safeguard the human rights of victims and their families and the constitutional rights of defendants.
On March 22, 1972, the Senate passed the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution, which proposed banning discrimination based on sex.The E.R.A. was sent to the states for ratification, but it would fall short of the three-fourths approval needed.he Senate approved it in March 1972. The passed Equal Rights Amendment read, âEquality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.â.
Martha Griffiths and the Equal Rights Amendment. Martha Griffiths (D-MI) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1955-1974. She was the first woman to serve on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means and was instrumental in getting the prohibition of sex discrimination added to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. Griffiths is also known for resurrecting the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The ERA was a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guaranteed equal rights under the law for Americans regardless of their sex. The ERA was first drafted in 1923 by suffragist Alice Paul.