SELMA, Ala. -- Wearing combat boots and olive drab he swears he'll never wear in Viet Nam if drafted, black power advocate Stokely Carmichael defended himself unsuccessfully Tuesday on a charge of inciting a riot. He was found guilty, fined $100 and sentenced to 60 days at hard labor.
Failure to pay the fine would result in an extension of the jail term to 167 days. Carmichael, 25, filed notice of appeal and was released in $300 bond.
The Trinidad-born civil rights leader was convicted of inciting a riot Nov. 5 when several hundred Negroes demonstrated at a rally for Black Panther party candidates.
William Stewart House, local SNCC secretary, earlier was convicted of similar charges and fined $100 and 30 days at hard labor. His appeal bond also was set at $300.
A third Negro, Thomas Lorenzo Taylor of Philadelphia, Pa., was convicted of resisting arrest and blocking traffic and fined $60 or 74 days in jail last week. He is free under $200 appeal bond.
Policemen testified Taylor operated a sound truck urging Negroes to vote for Black Panther candidates who were subsequently defeated in the Nov. 8 general election. After Taylor was arrested, the officers testified, Carmichael and House tried to lead a march on city hall.
Wearing Army combat boots and a field jacket, Carmichael was allowed to conduct his own defense when Russell ruled that Don Jelinek, a white civil rights attorney from New York, was not licensed to practice in Alabama.
Though wearing the Army-style attired in court, Carmichael is vehemently opposed to the Viet Nam war and answered "hell, no" when asked if he would serve there.
