Arizona Sun

NAACP Leader Jailed
For Defamatory Sayings

BATON ROUGE, La. - The Rev. Arthur L. Jelks, Jr., president of the Baton Rouge NAACP, was arrested and jailed here last week on charges of "defaming" the district attorney and a district judge.

The arrest was made after a Baton Rouge grand jury, on September 7, had indicted Rev. Jelks and Rev. B. Elton Cox on two counts of criminal defamation and placed them under a $10,000 bail.

The indictment was based on statements allegedly made at an NAACP meeting on September 4, following Rev. Jelks' unsuccessful attempt to enroll seven Negro children in presently all-white public schools in Baton Rouge.

Rev. Jelks categorically denies making such statements.

NAACP Southwest Regional Secretary Clarence A. Laws went to Baton Rouge on Monday, September 10 and with Attorney Johnnie Jones and branch officers attempted to secure bond for Rev. Jelks before he submitted to arrest. When efforts failed to obtain anyone who would agree to post property bond, it was agreed that he would. Secretary Laws stated that "we strongly believe that the charges against Rev. Jelks are designed to prevent him from pursuing a legitimate program of help to win for Negroes their constitutional rights in education and other areas of community life."

"It is extremely surprising to see so much attention being placed on the statement of Rev. Jelks when it is a well known fact that those who oppose integration have frequently used every form of character assassination," he added.