Zarr Statement on Abernathy Bond and Federal Court Motion

Press Release
June 26, 1969

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- 38f2fa8e-b992-ee11-be37-00224827e97b

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Press Releases, Volume 6. Zarr Statement on Abernathy Bond and Federal Court Motion, 1969. 38f2fa8e-b992-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/db13f4c9-2371-41ae-b7a1-a85af1c3ae61/zarr-statement-on-abernathy-bond-and-federal-court-motion. Accessed November 23, 2025.

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    Statement by LDF attorney Melvyn Zarr to be delivered tonight on 

television in Charleston, South Carolina. 

June 26, 1969 

Yesterday the Circuit Solicitor appeared on this channel and stated 

that he had indicated to me and another attorney representing Rev. 

Ralph David Abernathy that--if we would make a motion in state court 

to reduce Rev. Abernathy's bond to $5000--he would not oppose it. 

The Solicitor's account is correct--as far as it goes. But he omitted 

something very important. My explanation to him of why, at this time, 

we insist upon proceeding in federal court on our motion there to 

release Rev. Abernathy without bond on the riot charge. 

The explanation is simply this. In Charleston, $5000 is a bond 

traditionally reserved for very serious offenses. Accused rapists 

and killers have been released on $5000 bond in Charleston. 

We could not and cannot agree to that sum because this riot charge 

against Reverend Abernathy and the three others is spurious, not 

serious. It was fabricated by prosecuting authorities solely to 

discredit SCLC's non-violent protest movement. 

That is why we are asking the federal court to dismiss the charges. 

And that is also why we refuse to treat Rev. Abernathy's bail as 

a routine matter involving a serious criminal offense, and instead 

intend to press in federal court on Monday for his release without 

bond on this spurious charge. 

Reverend Abernathy's non-violent reputation is at stake here--and 

that is what we intend to vindicate in federal court. 

=30=

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Zarr Statement on Abernathy Bond and Federal Court Motion

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