Americus, GA. Cases Taken to U.S. Supreme Court by NAACP Legal Defense Fund Attorneys

    QPRESS RELEASE 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND ~ 
1OCOLUMBUS CIRCLE + NEWYORK19,N.Y. © JUdson 6-839 
DR. ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS JACK GREENBERG CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLI 
President Director-Counsel Associate Counsel 

¥é 

FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, October 30 at 12:00 Noon 

CASES TAKEN TO 
COURT BY’ NAACP 
FUND ATTORNEYS 

‘ 
WASH., D.C.--The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund today took 

the cases of four youthful civil rights workers, jailed in Americus, 

Ga. since August 8th, to the U. S. Supreme Court. 

Jack Greenberg, Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, 

“| 
announced that a motion for bail was filed with the high Court. 

Three of the student leaders are being held on a charge of 

‘ insurrection against the State of Georgia for which they face the 

death penalty. 

unlawful assembly, rioting, attacking an officer with intent to 

kill and aiding and assisting another in an attempt to escape. 

‘ His bail is $12,000. 

os The other students are Donald Harris, John Perdew and Ralph 

Allen, all field secretaries for the Student Non-Violent Coordinat- 

ing Committee. These three face insurrection charges, punishable b 

death. 

Another student, Zev Aelony of the Congress of Racial Equality, 

+.ds being defended by other counsel. 

A The motion for release on bail states that it is being filed 

because it can be acted upon immediately, while a petition for writ 

of certiorari normally must wait 30 days for the state to answer. 

The motion for release on bail points out to the court that 

there is also pending an action in the United States District Court 

for the Middle District of Georgia. 

more. 

Ss 



? to register voters and to encourage Negroes to utilize public 

5 ommodations. 

f 3 
a farch 18, 1963 

-2- Americus, Ga. cases to Supreme Court 

In this action Legal Defense Fund attorneys are seeking an injunc- 

ion against the state court proceedings and a writ of habeas corpus. 

| The Supreme Court motion suggests that if the high court deems it in- 

ropriate to grant the release itself, it may find it desirable to 

‘the District Court, which now has jurisdiction over the parties, 
4 

rant the release. 

Chronology of Events in and 
Around Americus, Georgia 

1963 
P73 = ’ j 

5 ieéld workers for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee 

rd into Americus, Ga. 

ap 

to assist the Sumter County Movement in its * 

Two Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) w 

sted and held incommunicado for two hours and threaten 

ges for vagrancy. 

cil 25, 1963 
G 
Ralph Allen, a SNCC field worker, was beaten on the street after . 

had taken a Negro woman to register to vote at the Sumter County 

thouse. 

ily 1963 

More than 100 Negroes arrested for attempting to gain admittance, 

‘ E A a 
through the front door, to the movie theater in Americus. 

uly 13, 1963 2 is 

ES _ Ordinance enacted restricting picketing to certain hours of ee ay 

“limiting the number and spacing of participants. 

= y 19, 1963 hs 

f Be 
Nineteen persons arrested for their participation in peaceful 

i 
" 

\_ demonstrations. 7 

2 8% 

August 2, 1963 

Plaintiffs Harris, Perdew, Allen and McDaniel and Sallie Mae Durham 

a minor, arrested during peaceful demonstration called to protest the 
—_— 

more. 



A) \/ 
>: 

-3- Americus, Ga. case to Supreme Court 

denial of civil rights of Negro citizens, including the right to 

vote. 

August 9, 1963 

* Negroes demonstrated peacefully before Americus police 

protest reported police brutality and intimidation during 

day before. Thomas McDaniel and Miss Durham, both local c¥ 

jailed with bonds of $20,000 each. However, the judge ref 

bond for SNCC workers. In addition, 8 peace bonds totaling 

were lodged. 

* Police officers and state troopers are reported to have stopped 

demonstrators and bludgeoned them with 2-foot clubs and elec ric 

cattle prods. 4 

August 1l, 1563 F-4 

-* Approximately 25 persons, kneeling in prayer before Americus 

lice station, were arrested. Further incidents of alleged police 

5 utality were reported. Demonstrators were still protesting denial 

the right to vote. j 

sArchie B. Porter, 18, was shot while walking home. Seventeen 

officers had stopped him, then beat and arrested him. When hi 

also arrested. 
py 

* police are reported to have visited the local drive-in theater that 

"evening to harass Negroes by shooting into the crowd. No one was 

ported hurt. 

Miugust 12, 1963 

“*@ Police arrested Sammy Joe Haynes, 13, while walking down the stree” 

Be was kicked and severely beaten reportedly because of his participa- 

tion in demonstrations. ae 
5 
“Au 13,1963 

o 7 
J, S, Justice Department reported that FEI investigation in 

Ticus, Ga. had failed to uncover any evidence of police brutality. 

ugust, 17, 1963 

* “Mayor T. Griffin Walker and City Engineer Charles Wheatley 
Pad 

‘announced that no white persgm.would be interested in negotiations. 

more. 

ES} 



-4- Americus, Ga, case to Supreme Court 

umter County Movement had hoped for a biracial commission. 

id A group of 35 people arrested who had peacefully demonstrated in 

pratest against reported police brutality and general denial of the 

exercise of their civil rights, including the right to vote. ? 

& & = Aelony arrested and imprisoned solely because of his activities 
pA 

ae ss participsting in and assisting at meetings called to instruct Negro 

citizens in securing their civil rights, including the right fto vote. 
¥ 

4 ne was arrested and is held without bail. 
aS 

Wugust 20, 1963 
Bee 

w* James Brown, 30, Korean War veteran, was shot through the back of 
= Li 
ae ee Meck and killed by a local policeman. 

D enber 3, 1963 

“Driver's seat of the car of Legal Defense Fund attorney cote. King 
= 

iéd with acid while he talked with Judge James W. Smith. 

“John'L. Barnum, Jr., treasurer of the Sumter County Movement, said 
s 

2 public school boycott had gotten almost 100% backing fr m 2,000 

Eudents in Americus. This was a protest against jailing and brutal 

eatment of other school children who were being held, or had been 

eld in Leesburg, Dawson and Americus. More than 250 persons, were 

arrested during the summer. 

October 1, 1963 

& 
Hearing on petition for writ of habeas corpus against Sumter Coun 

K3 
Police Chief Fred Chappell held in Superior Court, Sumter County, Ga 

peligt was denied. 

October 11, 1963 

NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorneys filed a complaint in Federal 

Court against city offigials of Americus, Ge. asking that they be 

Stopped from using the law to inhibit advocacy of civil rights. & 

October 16, 1963 ; 

Appeal cf the denial of the petition for habeas corpus was filed in 

the Supreme Court of Georgia. i] 

po = : more. 



\ 
Di
e 

“disposition of the appeal of the denial 

-5- Americus, Ga. case to Supreme Court 

October 21, 1963 

Appeal was docketed in the Supreme Court of Georgia. 

October 22, 1963 

Application for admission to bail and for reduction of bail@pendinc 

of habeas corpus and the motion 

to advance hearing on the writ of error were filed. z 

October 23, 1963 

Application for admission to bail pending disposition of the writ 

of error was denied. 

ao See