Greenberg Statement on Lockett v. Ohio and Bell v. Ohio Capital Rulings
Press Release
July 3, 1978

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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 June 13, 2025.
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513 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.