The Detroit tribune., 1963-11-23

NEW ORLEANS, La. - T h e
Conference Education
al Fund, Inc. and its executive
James A. Dombrowski,
filed a suit in Federal District
Court on November 18th, attack
ing the constitutionality of the
Louisiana Subversive Activities
and Communist Control Law. The
plaintiffs are asking that a three
judge Federal District Court is
sue Declaratory Judgement that
the law violates the constitution
of the United States.
DR.. Dombrowski and New Or
leans attorneys Benjamin f.
Smith and Bruce c. Walter were
arrested and SCEF records seized
on October 4th under this law,
and charged with managing
"subversive organization" Ar
rests and seizures were made by
New Orleans and State police,
at the instigation of the Louis
lana Joint Legislative Commit
tee on American Activities.
The complaint maintains that
"the sole purpose, intention and
effect of threatening to enforce"
the Louisiana law rs to deter,
intimidate, hinder and prevent
the plaintiffs and the members,
friends and supporters of plain
tiff corporation from exercising
their fundamental constitutional
rights guaranteed under the First
and Fourteenth Amendments in
their efforts TO enforce the equal
ity under the law guaranteed by
the Thirteenth, Fourteenth a n d
Fifteenth Amendments"
An interlocutory injunction was
also requested restraining State
authorities from utilizing photo.
static copies of the seized SCEF
documents now in their posses
sion. A hearing pertaining to this
injunction before Federal Judge
Robert A. Ainsworth, has been
set for November Goth in the
Old County building, Royal ST.,
New Orleans.
Defendants in the suit are
State Representative James II.
Pfister, chairman of the Joint
Legislative Committee on I'm
Activities; Colon |
Thomas d. Burbank and Major
Russell r. Willie of the Louis
lana State Police; Jimmie II. Da-
Wis, Governor of Louisiana; Jack
p. F. Gremillion, State Attorney
General; and Jim Garrison Dis
trict Attorney for Orleans Par
iSh. ,ws II
The October 4th conspiracy
c charges against Dombrowski,
Smith and Walter we're dismiss
ed at an October 25th hearing
before State Judge Bernard j.
Cooke, for lack OF evidence. But
the confiscated documents have
not been returned to SCEF, an
organization dedicated to fur
thering racial integregation in
the South.
On October 5th, SCEF'S rec
ords were subpenaed by U. S.
Senator James o. Eastland's In
ternal Security Subcommittee of
the Senate Judiciary Committee,
and a number of them transferr-
ed to Washington DC. after
Louisiana authorities had made
copies for their own use.
On November 9th, the Louis
lana Joint Legislative Commit
tee on Un-American Activities
held a hearing on SCEF in Bat
on Rouge. AT the three hour ses-
sion, open to the press but clos
ed to the public ito keep out
agitators', copies of SCEF doc
uments we're used as evidence
in an attempt to label the or
ganization subvcrsive.
The Southern Conference Ed
lcational Fund and executive di-
rector Dombrowski have also fill
I'd damage suits in New Orleans
and Washington. DC. against
Louisiana officials and US. Sen
ator Eastland.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs are
Kunstler & Kinoy of
New York; Milton f. Brener and,
of counsel, A. p. Tureaud, both
Of New Orleans.