Jury Acquits Deputy In Jail Death
Item
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Title
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Jury Acquits Deputy In Jail Death
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Source Type
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Newspapers
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Publisher
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The Atlanta Constitution
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Publication Place
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Atlanta, GA
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Publication Date
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04/13/1967
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Transcript
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Jury Acquits Deputy in Jail Death MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A federal court jury of 11 white persons and one Negro delib- erated less than two hours Wed- nesday before acquitting a for- mer deputy of charges of violat- ing the civil rights of a Negro. The jury was out one hour and 50 minutes before freeing Harvey King Conner, 57. Con- ner, who is white, was charged by the Justice department af- ter a Montgomery construction worker, James Earl Motley, 27, was found dead in the jail at Wetumpka last Nov. 20. Conner testified he struck Mot- ley with a slapjack (a weighted, oblong weapon) after he resist- ed arrest. Conner said Motley fell on a sharp, pointed fence at the rear of the jail. Motley's body was discovered several hours after he was ar- rested. The former deputy said Mot- ley interferred while he was try- ing to arrest the driver of a car in which Motley was riding. He said the other man had no driv- er's license. State toxicologist Guy Purnell testified that Motley died of brain damage caused by force. But he said he doubted that blows of a slap-jack could have caused the fatal wounds.
