Greenberg Statement on Killing of John Spinkellink

Document text

The following text has been generated automatically during the document scanning process. It may contain errors, omissions, or incorrect formatting. Please refer to the PDF document if this text is not usable.

Download

By downloading, publishing, or reusing the Materials outside of the Website, you hereby confirm and attest that you have read and agree to the LDF Archival Collection Terms of Use linked below. We draw your attention to the following:

For those Materials owned by LDF, your use of the Material outside the Site is solely for one or more of the following (the “Permitted Purposes”):

Non-commercial research and private study;
Teaching, scholarship and instruction (including distance learning);
Non-commercial print and non-commercial online use;
Criticism, comment or news reporting; or
For people with visual disabilities (See Section 121 of the Copyright Act).
For those Materials not owned by LDF you understand that:
- It is your responsibility to determine whether the way you plan to use the materials falls within the copyright exception of Fair Use.
- For any use outside of Fair Use, it is your responsibility to seek and obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders.

LDF hereby grants you the right to use LDF owned Materials for the Permitted Purposes without seeking further permission from LDF.

If you publish or redistribute any Materials (including excerpts and quotes), you must include a credit line and/or proper citation to the source of the Material. However, you may not use the name of LDF in any manner which creates any false association between you and LDF or that incorrectly implies any sponsorship or endorsement of you by LDF.

NOTICE: Uses that do not comply with these Terms or that do not fall under Fair Use (or another exception) may make you liable for copyright infringement.

Read the full LDF Archival Collection Terms of Use Here.

I agree to the terms and conditions for use of this content.

If you would like to use this content in other ways, contact us at .

Collection
- Press Releases
Creator
- LDF
Taxonomy
Identifier
- 16d02ba7-bb92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b

Cite this item

Press Releases, Volume 7. Greenberg Statement on Killing of John Spinkellink, 1979. 16d02ba7-bb92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/d9c88e59-5c77-4690-b6cf-f51cefd150f9/greenberg-statement-on-killing-of-john-spinkellink. Accessed November 23, 2025.

Copied!

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC
egal efense lund 10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10019 + (212) 586-8397

STATEMENT BY JACK GREENBERG,

DIRECTOR~COUNSEL, NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE FUND,

ON KILLING OF JOHN SPINKELLINK

For immediate release For further information:
Friday, May 25, 1979 N.Y. - Anne Dowling

212-586-8397

New York, N.Y. - May 25 -- Spinkellink's execution

is an outrageous combination of inhumanity, stupidity

and superstition. Spinkellink's crime was no worse than

tens of thousands for which lesser penalties regularly

are imposed. It was committed against a man who

sodomized and violently assaulted him. Spinkellink's

accomplice now freely walks the streets; the deliberate

murderer of San Francisco's mayor was this week sentenced

to five years. Capital punishment is insane in its

application, racially discriminatory and serves no useful

purpose. Florida's 130 death row inmates offer the

Sunshine State an opportunity to surpass South Africa,

equal Iran and approach the Soviet Union in legalized

killing. Civilized democracies have long ago given up

such barbarities. One day the United States will. The

NAACP Legal Defense Fund pledges itself to continue the

struggle. But how many senseless executions will we

have before that day ee!

Contributions are deductible for U.S. income tax purposes
The NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATIONAL FUND is not part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People although it
was founded by it and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF has had for over 20 years a separate Board, program, staff, office and budget.

TIES
SODQRIZER

1§
fi ff

Copyright notice

This collection and the tools to navigate it (the “Collection”) are available to the public for general educational and research purposes, as well as to preserve and contextualize the history of the content and materials it contains (the “Materials”). Like other archival collections, such as those found in libraries, LDF owns the physical source Materials that have been digitized for the Collection; however, LDF does not own the underlying copyright or other rights in all items and there are limits on how you can use the Materials. By accessing and using the Material, you acknowledge your agreement to the Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Materials.

Additional info

To the extent that LDF includes information about the Materials’ origins or ownership or provides summaries or transcripts of original source Materials, LDF does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of such information, transcripts or summaries, and shall not be responsible for any inaccuracies.

Greenberg Statement on Killing of John Spinkellink

Collection

Creator

Taxonomy

Identifier

Cite this item

Copyright notice

Additional info

You may also be interested in