NAACP Legal Defense Fund Will Appeal Americus, GA Cases

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PRESS RELEASE ; 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
TOCOLUMBUS CIRCLE + NEWYORKI19,N.Y. © JUdson 6-839, 

DR. ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS JACK GREENBERG CONSTANCE BAKER MQTL 
President Director-Counsel Associate Counsel 

October 3, 1963. 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE WILL 
f APPEAL AMERICUS, GA.CASES 

Sie 

4 AMERICUS, Ga.--- Attorneys of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund will x 

carry the cases of five student demonstrators, jailed here since 

August 8th, to the Georgia State Supreme Court, PF , 

Jack Greenberg, a We ctor-counsex of the Fund, announced ne 

the attorneys would-be ready to move during the early part of the 

week of October 6th, Ps 
ie 

Non-Violent Coordinating Comaittee, will have spent nezrly two 

months beh nd Georgia bars on a series of unprecedented charges. 

They, were arrested while marching and singing of freedom songs. — 

For this "subversive" plotting, they are charged with "“atiemoting 

‘to incite insurrection" aga:nst the State of Georgia (a cscital 

% offense), riot, unlawful assembly, assault with intent to kill, 

a resisting arrest. 

? jttle progress was made here this week despite vigorous 

-efforts of Legal Defense Fund attorneys arguing before the local 

Superior Court, Sumter County, of which Americus is the seat, 

An array of white witnesses testified that they had sworn out 

warrants for the arrests of the five students because, as one man 

stated, "I was told they were the leaders," 

; Ys C.B. King, arguing for the Legal Defense Fund, termed such 

testimony as "hearsay". 

The solicitor, representing the segregationists interests, 

argued that windows of stores were broken as a result of the climate 

created by the five students, even though they were in jail when 

the property was damaged, 

None of white witnesses were able to identify the students, 

“One witness went so far as to confuse their identities when asked 

% 
cont'd, 



he stand by the solicitor and submitted to a line of questioning 

hich attempted to "correct the error". 

: The prosecution maintained that no amount was set forkthe 

eace bonds sworn out against the students, thus making them unable 

© secure release, 

ss Mr. King was joined by Constance Baker Motley, associate- 

counsel of the Legal Defense Fund and Thomas Jackson of Macon, Ga, 

t The students, Donald Harris, John Perdew, Ralph Allen, Thoma é 

McDaniel and Sallie Mae Durham, appeared to be in excellent spirit: 

"Mrs.: Mary Harris of New York City, mother of young Harris, Pe 

. ttended the hearing as.did the Rev. Bradford S, Abernethy, chaplai 

jutgers University, from which Harris graduated last year, 

5 Miss Durham was bound over to juvenile court when Mr, King 

‘pointed out that she is only-14 years of age, 

The hearing was held on a petition for a writ of habeas corpus 

3 filed by NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorneys. 

$ % = 80n= 

i Editor's Note: 

For further information contact:- 

* Jesse DeVore, Jr. ’ f Ne 
oe ida Director of Public Information, i ¢ 

E NAACP Lehal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., 8? 
10 Columbus Circle, 
New York 19, N.Y. 
JUdson 6-8397.