Legal Defense Fund Lawyers Beat Death Deadline in GA

    *) PRESS RELEASE a 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
TO COLUMBUS CIRCLE + NEW YORK19,N.Y. © JUdson 6-8397 

DR. ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS JACK GREENBERG CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLE| 
President Director-Counsel Associate Counsel : 

LEGAL DEFENSE FUND LAWYERS 
BEAT DEATH DEADLINE IN GA. 

November 15, 1963 

ATLANTA, Gae--A team of six NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorneys fever- 

ishly worked against a 33-hour-deadline here this week in a race to 

save a condemned Negro from the Georgia electric chair. 

They were successful, 

Isaac Sims, Jr., 27, of Folkston, Ga., was granted a stay of 

execution by Judge R.L. Carr of Glenville, Ga, at 4 pm on Tuesday, 

Nevember 12th. 

Young Sims was to have died the next day, Wednesday morning, at 

9:00. 

The lawyers made it with 17 hours to spare, 

It all began at midnight, Monday, November 11, when a total 

stranger walked into the Jacksonville, Fla. office ef Earl Johnson, 

one of the Fund's cooperating counsel, Jacksonville is just across 

the Georgia state line, 

The stranger, who identified himself as a ccusin of the cen- 

demned, asked Leroy Clark, if legal help ceuld be secured, Attorney 

Clark phoned Legal Defense Fund Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg long 

distance in New York, 

Greenberg immediately called Donald Hollowell, the Fund's noted 

attorney, in Atlanta and asked him to take charge of the case from 

that end, 

Hollewell and William H, Alexander, youngest member of the 

Atlanta firm of Hollswell, Ward, Moore and Alexander, arrived at 

their offices early Tuesday morning, November 12, 

(more) 



Legal Defense Fund Lawyers 
Béat Death Deadline in Ga, 

Meanwhile in New York City, Greenberg was joined by Attorneys 

€onstance Baker Motley and Michael Meltsner of the Legal Defense Fund 

staff, 

j Mrs, Motley and Meltsner drafted a motion which was relayed 

. to the Atlanta attorneys via long distance telephone, for their 

on-the-scene consideration, 

The lawyers had to: 2 

* determine the basic facts of the crime... 

* conduct a quick, but accurate, investigation of 

- the previous trial proceedings---there was no time to secure the 

official courtroom record.... fag 

* determine what defenses had been raised (or not 
waised)... 

* determine what legal steps to take, including what 

_ state court to file in, since there was no time for miscalcula+ 

tion.e. 

They learned that Sims, sitting in death row in Reidsville 

= Prison in Tatnall county, had been indicted by an all white grand 

“jury in Charlton county. 

ou They also learned that his white court appointed attorney had 

not appealed or attempted in any way to argue blatant constitutional 

abuses, such as the systematic exclusion of Negroes from Sims‘ jury. 

Attorneys Horace Ward and Alexander spent the balance of Tues- 

day morning drawing up papers for a stay of execution and a petition 
Re 

for writ of habeas corpus. 

They boarded a 1:55 plane for Savannah, rented a car and drove 

9 Reidsville Prison, where they had their first talk with Sims, 

Alexander then sped to Glenville, Ga. where Judge Carr signed 

the stay of execution, The youthful attorney then drove back to the 

prison where he served the warden with the life-saving papers. 

The hearing, on charge of rape, is set down for November 19th 

in Reidsville. NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorneys will be there. 

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