Correspondence from Clerk to Counsel Re: US v. Hinds County

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’ * President 

Hon. Francis E. Riv. 
PRESS RELEASE Director-Counsel t 

egal efense lund wack broenbets 2) 
NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC Pe ee 
10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10019 * JUdson 6.8397 FOR RELEASE Charles J. Hayes 

SATURDAY 
June 20, 1970 

FATAL BEATING OF YOUTH IN JAIL, 
SEEN AS CAUSE OF AUGUSTA DISORDERS, 

SPURS LEGAL DEFENSE FUND DAMAGE SUIT 

AUGUSTA, GA.---In the absence of criminal prosecution, attorneys of 
the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) filed suit 
in U.S. District Court here this week on behalf of the mother of a 
16-year-old mentally retarded youth who died in jail after a series 
of savage beatings by fellow inmates. 

The death is believed to have sparked the recent protests in 
Augusta during which six men were killed. 

Representing Mrs. Cornelia Oatman in her suit for the recovery 
of over $1 million in damages, the LDF maintains that her son Charles 
had been confined illegally to Richmond County Jail on April 8, 1970 
and was subjected to repeated assaults, “with the knowledge and approval 
of the sheriff and jailer," which resulted in the boy's death on May 9. 

According to LDF attorneys, the victim's incarceration in the 
county jail was illegal since he was a minor, already under the 
jurisdiction of the Richmond County Juvenile Court, and should have 
been sent to a youth detention center. 

The complaint charges that Sheriff E. R. Atkins and Jailer James 
R. Powell took no action to prevent the continued physical abuse of 
the victim or to provide medical treatment for the bruises, lacerations, 
and cigarette burns which he bore from numerous attacks. 

LDF attorneys assert that this neglect was motivated by racial 
discrimination and that the jail officials as a matter of practice 
failed to prevent injury to black prisoners, although they did protect 
white prisoners from harm. 

Sammy Lee Parks and Lloyd Brown, both minors and inmates in 
Oatman's jail cell, are charged with participating in the fatal 
assault, which "took place over a period of several hours, during 
which the decedent cried out in pain and for help on many occasions." 

Charged with violations of state and federal law, including 
prohibitions against "cruel and unusual punishment" and guarantees 
of due process and equal protection of the law, are Sheriff Atkins, 
Jailer Powell, and Municipal Court Judge L. W. Cooper, who, despite 
undisputed evidence at the preliminary hearing removing Oatman from 
his jurisdiction, committed the youth to the county jail. 

LDF attorneys in the case are John H. Ruffin, Jr. of Augusta 
and LDF Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg and Jonathan Shapiro of 
New York City. 

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