Supreme Court Asked to Hold Special Session to Review Little Rock Bias Order
Press Release
June 26, 1958

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Press Releases, Loose Pages. Supreme Court Asked to Hold Special Session to Review Little Rock Bias Order, 1958. 98402c63-bc92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/e5ab385c-dcaa-4f80-8f5a-36bfabe33676/supreme-court-asked-to-hold-special-session-to-review-little-rock-bias-order. Accessed July 30, 2025.
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P ROE S'S RUE LBA SE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 10 Columbus Circle New York 19, N. Y. JU 6-8397 June 26, 1958 SUPREME COURT ASKED TO HOLD SPECIAL SESSION TO REVIEW LITTLE ROCK BIAS ORDER WASHINGTON, D. C., June 26--Attorneys for the Little Rock Negro high school students today asked the U. S. Supreme Court to hold a special session to review District Judge Harry J. Lemley's order of June 20 suspending integration at the Central High School. The request for the special session was made in a petition filed this morning with the high court by Thurgood Marshall and Wiley A. Branton, attorneys for the Negro children. They seek immediate reversal of Judge Lemley's suspension order. In their petition, the attorneys charge that Judge Lemley erred in ruling that hostile incidents and community opposition were suf- ficient cause to postpone desegregation of the Little Rock public schools until 1961. They raised the question as to whether the Little Rock integratior plan, which was approved by a District Court, a Circuit Court of Appeals and in operation for a year, can be suspended solely “upon a showing of certain hostile incidents" and opposition of the local public to the Supreme Court decisions in the School Segregation Cases. The petition requested the following relief: "WHEREFORE, it is respectfully submitted that the decision is so clearly wrong and that the public interest in its early disposition so great that this Court should: "1. Advance the date on which respondents are re- quired to file their brief in opposition. "2. Grant the writ of certiorari before judgment by the Court of Appeals. "3, Either extend the present term of Court or order a special term of Court to be convened pursuant to Rule 3 to hear arguments and dispose of the case. "4, Reverse the judgment." -2- It was pointed out here, however, that in 168 years the Supreme Court has held special sessions only three times. The attorneys, nevertheless, are hopeful that the high court will review and rule on the case before the 1958-59 school term in order that the remaining seven Negro students at Central High can return in September. Other attorneys of record on the petition filed on behalf of the Negro children are Constance B. Motley, Jack Greenberg and Irma Feder of New York City. Mr. Marshall is Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Attorney Branton lives in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. —AR0s<