, 1952-02-26
NAACp COURT CASES

NAACp COURT CASES
RICHMOND, Va. Feb. 21-The curtain rises on an
other chapter in the legal fight 0 fthe NAAC against seq
regated public schools, as a suit involving the public
SCHOOLS Prince Edward county Va, comes to trial Monday,
FEBRUARY 70, before a special three-judge federal court in
Richmond.
rev. l.. Francis Griffin, NAACP coordinator for the
county, has worked very closely with w. Lester banks,
state executive secretary, and other state NAACP Off
claIs, Oh the case, and mas voiced assurance that the cnl-
zeus OF the county and parents OF the children ARE reso-
lulely oenna" the Association in the fight to the finish
against segregated schools.
10 demonstrate this determination, the parents and
other clJlzens Of the county are holding a gigantic mass
meeung on the eve Of the trial to mobilize the public be-
hind the suit.
VA, Feb. 21.-Decision was reserved
this week on a suit by the A challenging the consti-
tuuonallty of the State of Vnglnia's segregation laws on
buses. Judge John L. Ingrim OF Hastings court said decis-
ION would De rendered at a later date.
The case involves David Med. Simms, a Virginia I'm
ion university student and president of the Virginia State
NAACP Youth Conference, who was arrested last March for
refusing to move to the rear of a Virginia Tansit company
bus. ME-. Smms was fined $40 after a hearing in Juvenil
and Domestic Relations court, and his case was appealed
to Hastings court by the NAACP.
SpottsWood w. Robinson III, southeast regional coun-
sci 70 rthe Association, forced prosecutin witnesses to ad-
nit in cross examination that their contention that "disor-
der would result from non-segregation was based on as
sumption, since they had never seen a situation in which
segregation of passengers was not %practiced.
The Virginia State conference of branches has
several other transportation segregation cases pending in
Richmond courts at the present time.
CAIRO, Ill, Feb. 21.-The hearing for the nine per-
sons arrested for actively participating in a drive to end
racial segregation in the public schools of this city has been
set for March 5, the NAACP learned this week.
Miss June ~Shagaloff and Lester P. Bailey, NAACP field
secretaries, are among the group who were arrested and
charged with endangering children whose transfers from
segregated schools they sought to expedite. Cairo has been
operating segregated schools despite an Illinois statute for
bidding such segregation, and A attorneys agreed
to withdraw a suit filed in the courts when the school au-
thorities agreed to go ahead with the transfers at the be-
ginning of the current term.
The weekend before the transfers were to take place
was marked by cross burnings, ~bombings and shootings.
These events were followed by the arrest of the NAACP
officials and others concerned with the anti-segregation
fight.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-Argument on the petition
to obtain release of two Negro Air Force service men UNI
der sentence of death will be held in the United States
District court here March 4. At stake will be the freedom
and life of former Staff Sergeant Robert w. Burns and
Private Herman Dennis, Jr.
Also IN consideration is the question as to whether or
not a soldier may seek relief through civil courts to require
the military to conform to our fundamental notions of due
prcess of law and a fair trial.
In answer to a petition filed January 81, on behalf Of
the convicted GIs by attorneys, Thurpood Mar
ho1 Do1o~4 r C-A.- - M