U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Review "Religious Worship" 'Rights Case'

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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