United States v. Grimes

229 F. Supp. 289, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9779
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedMay 8, 1964
DocketCiv. A. No. 8895
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 229 F. Supp. 289 (United States v. Grimes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Grimes, 229 F. Supp. 289, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9779 (N.D. Ga. 1964).

Opinion

HOOPER, Chief Judge.

This application for the writ of ha-beas corpus filed April 22, 1964 seeks to obtain the release of Tom Taylor Tolg now being held by respondent under authority of the sentence imposed upon petitioner for violation of Title 26 of the Georgia Code, § 3005 (Georgia Laws 1960, p. 142). The sentence was for a period of eighteen (18) months and One Thousand ($1,000.00) Dollars fine, with a provision that it would be suspended after four (4) months if petitioner herein would agree in writing to desist in the future from a violation of the laws of Georgia and other states.1

Petitioner contends that the Georgia statute in question is unconstitutional. He further contends that said statute even if constitutional was used to protect and sanction racial discrimination in a certain restaurant in the City of Atlanta operated at the time by one Charles Lebedin, prosecutor in the State Court.

Plea in Abatement in the State Court.

Petitioner herein prior to his arraignment in the State Court filed a Plea in Abatement, setting up the aforesaid alleged application of the Georgia statute claiming defendant’s rights to equal protection of the laws were violated in that the Police Department of the City of Atlanta allegedly arrested petitioner in a place of public accommodation, same constituting State action in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

This Court admitted in evidence by consent of all parties the transcript of the hearing of said Plea in Abatement in the State court with some doubt in the mind of this Court as to its legal effect as to controverted issues of fact and as to the effect of the finding of the State court overruling the same.

After a careful study of said transcript, however, this Court is of the opinion that there was sufficient sworn testimony not in dispute upon which this Court can make its Findings.2

In situations such as this it would seem to be important to ascertain whether petitioner, together with two white companions and eleven Negro companions, did on June 17, 1963 peaceably enter “Leb’s” restaurant, request to be served, were asked to leave and declined to leave, and were thereupon arrested under the Georgia statute, or whether on the other hand they committed other acts which would justify Mr. Lebedin’s calling of the police for the protection of his pi*operty rights. While a discussion [291]*291of the legal distinction between these points will be given hereinafter, the testimony herein referred to furnishes a basis for the application of the principles of law involved in this controversy.

Circumstances Surrounding Petitioner’s Arrest.

Testimony adduced upon the hearing of the Plea in Abatement discloses the following circumstances surrounding the arrest of the petitioner:

Petitioner was a twenty-three years old white student of sociology, studying for his master’s degree, in the University of Miami in Ohio, also a teacher of sociology. He had come to Atlanta pursuant to his employment by “The Students NonViolent Cooperation Committee” to assist that organization in its efforts to eliminate the private practice of racial segregation upon the part of privately owned public accommodations in Atlanta, with particular emphasis on restaurants.

On the morning of June 17th petitioner, together with two other young white students and eleven Negro students, met (by previous appointment, or otherwise) at a Negro church near Atlanta University (a Negro college) and together walked several miles to “Leb’s” restaurant at the corner of Forsyth and Luckie Streets in the downtown business area. Some of this group had been there on previous occasions. There had been numerous occasions where this group, or similar groups, had picketed “Leb’s” restaurant on account of its policy of segregation, causing a number of spectators to congregate about the same. On the day in question as this group approached the main entrance to the restaurant (this entrance consisting of a foyer of triangular shape at the intersection) Mr. Lebedin and some of his employees closed the door to prevent their entering and it is reasonable to suppose that his motives were partly on account of unwillingness to serve Negroes, and also his past experiences of disorder and unrest by virtue of the presence of such groups of demonstrators.

Charles Lebedin, sworn as an adverse party, testified in part as follows: On the day in question witness was inside his restaurant and he “saw a gang rushing the door, and we went up to stop them and they sat right down on my property,” they tried to come in and we would not let them (Tr. 19). “There were some strangers out there, customers that saw what was going on and they jumped right into it * * * the street was crowded with two or three hundred people” (Tr. 20) * * * “it was like a mob” (Tr. 21). * * * He had had these demonstrations for five months (Tr. 26). About ninety-five per cent of his customers entered through the door in question (Tr. 34). The demonstrators “were sitting on the sidewalk and laying there, naturally they were objectionable” (Tr. 42). * * * “They were all in a bunch, they all had their arms locked together, they were sitting down and they all had their arms locked together” (Tr. 44). He asked them to leave but they refused. He called a policeman and the policeman before making arrests insisted that Mr. Lebedin again ask them to move, and they refused.

There seems to be no doubt that these demonstrators were blocking the entrance to “Leb’s” restaurant so that customers could neither come in nor get out. They were sitting or lying in the vestibule just outside the door and were on the property of Mr. Lebedin (that is, the corporation in which he owns stock).

Petitioner Tolg was sitting in this vestibule and “the police had a hard time getting him up to put in the wagon” (Tr. 46). “Leb’s” business reached a peak between 12:00 and 2:00 o’clock and that’s the time the demonstrators were there. “They were obstructing the place, when you would try to get out and open our doors you couldn’t” * * * people came in and joined strangers and there was really a rumpus going on, people could not get in and out of my restaurant at my peak period” (Tr. 52).

This demonstration apparently interfered seriously with other customers of “Leb’s” restaurant. Two lady customers [292]*292were in the restaurant, had to be back at their place of business by two o’clock, but were unable to leave. “Leb’s” employees “tried to make a path * * * to try to get these women out” (Tr. 55). Certain strangers who were there tried to assist in this effort, they “stepped over these people * * * they formed a line and they said, now ladies come on out. I went outside and took the ladies out and walked them through”. The ladies “were pleading, please get us out we have got to get to work” (Tr. 56).

The congestion at the door was further proven by testimony of Michael Sayer, a young Negro student who accompanied petitioner to “Leb’s” restaurant who testified “I stood there unable to enter and unable to leave because there were people behind me also trying to enter the restaurant. Someone in the restaurant wanted to leave the restaurant so the left hand door * * * was opened * * to allow this person to leave” (Tr. 75).

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229 F. Supp. 289, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9779, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-grimes-gand-1964.