J. Greenberg's Policy Statement

Press Release
October 8, 1965

J. Greenberg's Policy Statement preview

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  • Press Releases, Volume 3. J. Greenberg's Policy Statement, 1965. bc61084d-b692-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/ec20e3f5-5a2e-4020-b1d0-dec66c1d38a3/j-greenbergs-policy-statement. Accessed June 13, 2025.

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    Statement by Jack»Greenberg, director-counsel 
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. 
October 8, 1965 

Ly 
POLICY STATEMENT 

The Legal Defense and Educational Fund has filed this 

case to require the State of California to assign adequate 

legal representation to the thousands of persons arrested 

during the Watts rioting. While we would not consties Tt eux 

function as a civil rights organization to represent persons 

whom we believe to be guilty of crime, there is no doubt that 

an indeterminate number of Watts defendants are innocent of 

charges placed against them, and will not receive the kind of 

representation which the United States Constitution guarantees 

to all defendants, rich or poor, Negro or white, innocent or 

guilty. 

Because the Watts tragedy arose out of an inextricable 

combination of racial discrimination and poverty, and neglect 

by the community at large, this case is importagt for it 

seeks to require California to stop turning its back on those 

residents of Watts now in the toils of the law. 

The suit calls upon the State to assure adequate 

representation prior to trial instead of--as jis Papi ser 

after trial that a conviction be upset because representation 

was not effective. 

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