U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Review "Religious Worship" 'Rights Case'
Press Release
September 16, 1964

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Press Releases, Volume 1. U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Review "Religious Worship" 'Rights Case', 1964. efeb5142-b592-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/554d7396-5e64-4138-9c82-d7cfe0a38884/us-supreme-court-asked-to-review-religious-worship-rights-case. Accessed April 27, 2025.
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10 Columbus Circle - > New York, N.Y. 10019 \ JUdson 6-8397 NAACP aS 5 Wednesday PRESS RELEASE September 16, 1964 President Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers Director-Counsel ack Greenberg Associate Counsel Constance Baker Motley U.S. SUPREME COURT ASKED TO REVIEW "RELIGIOUS WORSHIP" ‘RIGHTS CASE" Atlanta's First Baptist Church Cited WASHINGTON, D.C.--The U.S. Supreme Court was today asked to re- view the case of a 67-year old white minister charged with “interfering with religious worship" as result of an attempt to attend, along with Negro companions, the First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga. > Attorneys of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund argue in their petition that Rev. Ashton Bryan Jones was convicted under a vague and ambiguous statute before a judge with personal bias against him. The Supreme Court of Georgia, in upholding Rev. Jones' conviction, ruled that bias or prejudice of a judge against a criminally accused defendant wadinot sufficient grounds to dis- qualify the judge. Rev. Jones was arrested June 30, 1963 and Judge Durwood T. Pye, of the Superior Court of Fulton County sentenced Rev. Jones the maximum misdemeanor sentence. This consisted of 12 months upon the public works, six months in jail, and a:fine of $1,000.00. After conviction, bail was set at $20,000.00. Rev. Jones remained in jail nearly six months until the Georgia Supreme Court lowered his bail to $5,000.00 Rev. Jones and his companions, protesting the First Baptist Church's segregationist policies, sought admission to the main auditorium. Rev. Jones was informed by an usher that only he could be admitted since the church's policy stipulated that "other than white people" must sit in the lower, overflow auditorium, Rev. Jones and his party returned to attend the evening service, but were again excluded, “ (more) Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 “ : : Legal Defense and Educagjenal Fund U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Review -2- September 16, 1964 "Religious Worship" ‘Rights Case' The ushers blocked the church's doors. Rev. Jones and his party then moved to the sidewalk and began to pray, One of the church's deacons attempted to kick Rev, Jones as he knelt in prayer, Rev. Jones was arrested shortly afterwards. The Legal Defense Fund petition was filed by Jack Greenberg, director counsel, James M, Nabrit III, and Michael Meltsner, of the Fund's New York headquarters. They were joined by Fund Cooperating Attorneys Donald Hollowell and Howard Moore of Atlanta, —aapee PS