Legal Defense Fund Lawyers Beat Death Deadline in GA.

    PRESS RELEASE 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
TOCOLUMBUS CIRCLE + NEW YORK19,N.Y. ¢ JUdson 6-8397 

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

LEGAL DEFENSE FUND LAWYERS 
BEAT DEATH DEADLINE IN GA. 

November 15, 1963 

ATLANTA, Ga.--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, 

November 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 of Earl Johnson, 

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

the Georgia state line, 

The stranger, who identified himself as a cousin of the con- 

demned, asked Leroy Clark, if legal help could 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. 

Hollowell and William H. Alexander, youngest member of the 

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

their offices early Tuesday morning, November 12, 



CONSTAN' BAKER MOTLEY 
Associate Counsel 

DR. ALLAN KNI 
Prosidont 

ishly worked against a 

save a condemned Negro 

Ga., was granted a stay of 

executio 3 F Carr of Glenville, Ga, at 4 pm on Tuesday, 

Nsvember 12th. 

Yaung Sims was to have day, Wednesday morning, at 

9:00. 

er ll, when a total 

ce of Earl Jchnson, 

one of the Fund's cocperating counsel, Jacksonville is just acress 

the Gecrgia state line. 

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

if legal help ceuld be secured, ttorney 

Fund Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg leng 

eenberg immediately called Donald Hollowell, the Fund's noted 

and asked } charge of the case from 

st member of the 

nder, arrived at 

oy 
ata bi 



was joined by Attorneys 

a motion which was relayed 

for their 

* determine the basic facts of the crime... 

* conduct a quick, but accurate, investigation of 

* determine what legal steps to take, including what 

state court to file in, since time for miscalcula+ 

ELON S%<6:0 

They learned that Sims, sitting in death row in Reidsville 

atnall county, had been indicted by an all.white grand 

jury in Charlton county. 

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 

for writ of habeas corpus. 

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

to 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.