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

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Defense Fund Asks U:S*° Supreme Court -2- 
to Reverse Freedom Rider Convictions 

The cases continued at snail's, pace on appeals to the 
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Circuit Court and the Mississipp oe Collet throughole 1962 

and 1963. The state courts conga zefaced to consider” he 

constitutional arguments raised by Defense Fund lawyers, and ‘in 

March of this year, the Mississippi Supreme Court af firmed the 

Beemections _appealed today. 
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a upon the arrival of the racially mixed group 

erminals of the Greyhound and frat tiny ed pus lines andthe x 

thdir refusal to leave the terminals that™was offered as evidence 

of guilt. Captain Ray cited the "ugly and angry". mood of 

jathered white persons as a reason for asking the Freedom Ride 

te leave, but at no time did he arrest any of those who as 

ened to create disturbances. 

Among the defendants are several whose bus was ove irned and 
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burned near Anniston, Ala. on the way to Jackson. bad ar- 

rived by train from Memphis in the drive to test iinteueeate 

travel pfactiities throughout the South. fw ah iB Pree 

In ® port of the appeal submitted soaeyts the U, S. Supreme 

Court, Legal Defense Fund attorneys made the following points: & 
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*the convictions violate due process of law, as guaranteed 

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by the Fourteenth Amendment, in that the records show no & 

evidence of guilt; i” as 

*the convictions violate due process of law, since the breach 

of the peace statute is so vague as to give no ascertainable 

standard of guilt, and fails to warn of the conduct punishable; 

*the arrests, prosecutions, and convictions fly in the face 

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2" 2D, fense Fund Asks U.S, Supreme Court 43- 

yt Reverse Freedom Rider Convictions 

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4 *the convictions violate the First and Fourteenth An 

ments, since the Freedom Riders were exercisin 

rights of free expression and assembly i 

actions; 

“ae _ *the prosecutions violated the "Commerce ( 

FFF constitution (Art. 1, Sect. 8, use 3) 

placed an illegal burden on commere 

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» Since they 

Federal law forbi 

racial discimination in ge travel facilities. 

State now has 30 days in which to reply to the Defense 
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will review the convictions. Because of the sum