Defense Fund Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Reverse Freedom Rider Convictions

Press Release
June 13, 1964

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Press Releases, Volume 1. Defense Fund Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Reverse Freedom Rider Convictions, 1964. cce849ec-b492-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/e524c7da-fe17-4e2c-92b5-f388f3b76c7a/defense-fund-asks-us-supreme-court-to-reverse-freedom-rider-convictions. Accessed December 04, 2025.

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    10 Columbus Circle 
New York, N.Y. 10019 
JUdson 6-8397 

NAACP 

Sisal Defense and Educational F und 
PRESS RELEASE 
President 

Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers 

June 13, 1964 

Director-Counsel 
Jack Greenberg 

Associate Counsel 

Constance Baker Motley 

DEFENSE FUND ASKS U.S. SUPREME COURT 
TO REVERSE FREEDOM RIDER CONVICTIONS 

; 

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Attorneys of the NAACP Legal Defense and Edu- 

cational Fund today asked the nation's highest court. to aelew 

sae conviction of James Farmer, national director.of CORE, and 

28 other "Freedom Riders" arrested in the spring and summer of 

1961 in Jackson, Miss.\ The appeal to the Supreme Court represents 

the fifth step in the lengthy defense of the 303 persons who 

attempted peacefully to desegregate that city's bus and rail- 

road terminal facilities. 

Legal Defense Fund Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg was joined 

in the appeal by James M, Nabrit III and Derrick A. Bell of the 

Fund's New York headquarters and Jack Young, Carsie A, Hall 

and R. Jess Brown, Fund cooperating attorneys in Jackson. 

Messrs. Young, Hall and Brown are the only lawyers in the en- 

tire state of Mississippi who handle civil rights cases, 

The State of Mississippi required separate trials for each 

Of the 303 Freedom Riders, all of whom were \convicted of breach 

of the peace and disorderly conduct in City Court, fined from 

two hundred to five hundred dollars and given sentences ranging 

from 60 days, suspended, to four months in jail, not suspended. 

Two decided to pay their fines and Serve their sentences, and on 

appeals to,the County Court, 54 othe: chose not to contest the 

gt 
charges, accepting fines and suspended sentences. 

Today's action on behalf of CORE Dirdttort “Farmer and thatther 

28, leaves over 200 cases pending at various levels of the = 

Mississippi courts. Fund attorneys had repeatedly asked that! 

the ‘cases be consolidated, as the facts and charges were praet 

tically identical, but the request was repeatedly dentecee 

la
it
 
t
e
 

c02s 

Those who sought new trials in County Court had ene convictions 

affirmed and their sentences increased to $500 fines and four 

months in jail. (po re) 
Jeu DeVere, Je. Disector of Eublic Information-Night Nawber 212 Klversiile 9-8487 Se

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Defense Fund Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Reverse Freedom Rider Convictions

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