. S . ▁Constitution . ▁The ▁NA AC P ▁assist ed ▁the ▁pla int iffs ▁as ▁they ▁gained ▁support ▁behind ▁their ▁pet ition , ▁and ▁the ▁activ ist ▁group ▁h ired ▁Con rad ▁Pear son , ▁an ▁NA AC P ▁att orney ▁from ▁Dur ham , ▁to ▁file ▁the ▁pet ition ▁to ▁federal ▁district ▁court . ▁On ▁December ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁District ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁Four th ▁Circ uit ▁decided ▁in ▁the ▁hosp it als ' ▁favor . ▁Judge ▁Stanley ▁cont ended ▁that ▁Mos es ▁H . ▁C one ▁and ▁Wes ley ▁Long ▁were ▁both ▁private ▁hosp it als , ▁not ▁government ▁entities . ▁R ely ing ▁on ▁The ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁C ases ▁( 1 8 8 3 ) ▁reasoning , ▁Judge ▁Stanley ▁op ined ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁hosp it als ▁had ▁a ▁right ▁to ▁disc rim inate ▁if ▁they ▁chose ▁to . ▁ ▁Even ▁though ▁the ▁pla int iffs ▁lost , ▁they ▁appe aled ▁to ▁the ▁U . S ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als , ▁and ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁the ▁court ▁over ru led ▁the ▁previous ▁court ' s ▁decision . ▁The ▁app ell ate ▁court ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁hosp it als ▁had ▁viol ated ▁the ▁Fif th ▁and ▁Four teenth ▁Am end ments ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁government ▁through ▁the ▁Hill - B ur ton ▁funds . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁court ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁Gre ens bor o ▁hosp it als