Minneapolis spokesman., 1963-02-21
The COst-And The
Price-Of Justice

As we look at the money cost Of the vote regis
ration drive in the South of school integration and
especially integraton at the University level and at
all Of the other facets Of the drive Of the Negro
population to claim its civil rights, one rather ap-
palling fact stands out:
1t costs great deal Of money to make good
your claim to civil rights and If you don't have that
money you don't have the rights. This applies to the
direct outlay Of cash. rather than the many other
economic costs to the Negro claiming his rights,
such as loss Of employment or business loss Of
credit, and violent physical impairment Of person
and destruction Of property
1t applies to private costs, and not to outlays by
the government which entered the integraton crisis
the vote registration crisis, and other civil rights
areas only after privately financed efforts had
brought affairs to point where the federal govern
ment could scarcely afford not to act.
Without the NAACP and its ability to organize
substantial amounts Of finance the school integra-
ton issue could not have been carried to its
status Perhaps it could not have been taken to
court at all Without this kind Of backing people
like James Meredith could not aspire to the citizens
right to full access to higher educational fac-
tiles because it takes a lot Of finance to get the
necessary court orders
1t costs money for lawyers, because lawyers
have to eat be clothed and have shelter while they
are working on such cases. There court costs
transcripts have to be made Briefs and other records
have to be printed.
And so, small or large fortunes depending on
the point Of New) have to be laid out before we
even get before Judge to argue the merits Of the
sixteenth amendment to the constitution mo state
shall deny to any person within its Jurisdiction
the equal protection Of the laws" It costs more
fortunes to take this argument up to the court Of
final Jurisdiction the United States Supreme Court
This Is the situation at the highest level Below
this, what happens? What happens to the sixth
amendment-"In all criminal prosecutions, the ac-
cused shall enjoy the right to speedy trial -
when the accused does not know about this amend
ment and has not the funds to hire a lawyer If he
did know? Even in enlightened and progressive Min
nesota, he sometimes sits in Jail for months on end
waiting for lesurey judges and leisurely prosecutors
to get around to his In effect he Is serving
sentence for the crime of having no money and no
moneyed friends.
This is not the state of affairs which the franz
Of our Bill Of Rights had in mind The situation
which has grown up-the economics Of JUSTICE
is itself, in effect, violation of the Bill Of Rights
Moreover except for occasional effort by an oc-
casonal attorney to buck the system and go to the
aid of an occasional victim, the system goes on m-
challenged There is organized effort to challenge
1t. Yet 1t Is perhaps the most egregous and wide
spread Of all violations Of the civil rights of our c
zers. " "~' .-'
The fact that great many Of the victims may
be guilty Of minor and major crimes against society
should be considered by all civil nbertarians
ondary to the fact that all Of the victims are de-
fenseless against this violation Of their rights