Greenberg Statement on Lockett v. Ohio and Bell v. Ohio Capital Rulings

Press Release
July 3, 1978

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Greenberg Statement on Lockett v. Ohio and Bell v. Ohio Capital Rulings preview

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Press Releases, Volume 6. Greenberg Statement on Lockett v. Ohio and Bell v. Ohio Capital Rulings, 1978. da52a975-bb92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/1f2d4c0c-fb41-4fd9-89cc-1a9e64c2186c/greenberg-statement-on-lockett-v-ohio-and-bell-v-ohio-capital-rulings. Accessed January 07, 2026.

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NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC, egal efense land 10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10019 « (212) 586-8397 

From: NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. Ten Columbus Circle 
New York, New York 10019 
(212) 586-8397 

Contact: Jack Greenberg 
James M. Nabrit, III 

To: City Desk and Legal Editors 

New York, New York, July 3 - The following is a statement by 
Jack Greenberg, Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and 
Educational Fund, on today's Supreme Court ruling in the cases 
Lockett v. Ohio and Bell v. Ohio. 

"Today's decision in Lockett v. Ohio ana Bell v. Ohio holds 
unconstitutional Ohio's death penalty statute. The Court also 
struck down the capital punishment statutes of Arizona and Pennsylvania. 
Ohio had the second largest death row population in the country, 99 men 
and women, 65 of whom were black. All together, this lifts the death 
penalty from more than 20% of Oye Golenedl death row population which 
now is almost 500, more than half of whom are black and other minorities. 
The Legal Defense Fund will continue in its effort to abolish the 
racially disparate and arbitrary punishment of death as eruel, unusual 
and unconstitutional." 

-more-— 

Contributions are deductible for U.S. income tax purposes 
The NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATIONAL FUND is not part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People although it 
was founded by it and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF has had for over 20 years a separate Board, program, staff, office and budget. 



The Legal Defense Fund capital punishment campaign began in 1967. 

Since then there has been only one execution, that of Gary Gilmore 

who wanted to die. LDF handled the leading Supreme Court cases of 

Furman v. Georgia which held capital punishment as unconstitutional, 

as arbitrary and freakish in 1972; Gregg v. Georgia and Woodson v. 

North Carolina which struck down mandatory capital punishment statutes 

and required that the death penalty be imposed according to standards 

in 1976; and Coker v. Georgia which struck down capital punishment 

for rape as cruel and unusual punishment in 1977. 

Note to Editors: The NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC., 
LDF) is not a part of the National Association for the Advancement 

of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.) though it. was founded by that 
organization and shares its commitment to equal rights. For 20 
years, LDF has had its own Board of Directors, budget, staff, office 
and program.

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Greenberg Statement on Lockett v. Ohio and Bell v. Ohio Capital Rulings

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