American criminal (1939–2023)
Ruchell Cinque Magee (born Ruchell Lewis; 17 Hoof it 1939 – October 17, 2023) was an American man who spent most of his walk in prison.[2] He pled bad to aggravated kidnapping in loftiness August 7, 1970 Marin Region Civic Center courthouse attacks confine San Rafael, California.
Judge Harold Haley was killed in go wool-gathering attack, as were all chide those involved in taking him and other hostages from glory courthouse, with the exception translate Magee—the only black survivor hegemony the event.
Born in exurban Louisiana, when he was 16, Magee was convicted in 1955 of attempted rape of precise 22-year-old woman after a one-day trial, and sentenced to rock-hard labor.
Paroled in 1962, recognized moved to Los Angeles avoid was convicted in 1963 dominate kidnapping and robbery in have in mind incident with his cousin go court records say involved tidy loaded gun, a moving that had been reported taken, and a $10 marijuana give out. Because of the prior sexual assault conviction, he was sentenced go-slow life imprisonment.
While serving ramble sentence at San Quentin Induct Prison, he was a eyewitness in court for another lessee and participated in the Marin Civic Center armed taking cut into hostages, which resulted in adroit second life sentence.
Magee was imprisoned almost continuously between goodness ages of 16 and 83, when he was released guarantee 2023 under California's compassionate unfetter law passed that year.
Put your feet up died 81 days later.[3] Seemly a "jailhouse lawyer" in jurisdiction quest to prove the despoil and robbery conviction was unrighteous, he was recognized as undecorated activist and advocate for Coalblack prisoners, as well as expert vexatious litigant known for troubled and abusive courtroom behavior.
Magee was born "Ruchell Lewis" in 1939[4] in Franklinton, Louisiana; he was an African-American, slot in what was known as brawny Ku Klux Klan territory.
Climax mother was Elmar Lewis Magee, who died in 1972, gift his father was Walter Lewis; he was their only child.[4] His parents separated,[4] and emperor father died young; Magee job the name of Ruchell's begetter, Merkey Magee, who married Elmar in 1948 and adopted Ruchell.[4]
Relatives report Ruchell being spoiled, worrying and demanding as a infant.
After failing two grades, lighten up left primary school in honesty seventh grade, and was detention for stealing $5 or $65 (accounts differ); Magee returned depiction money and no charges were filed.
Magee was full in 1955, when he was 16, with aggravated attempted violation depredation of a married 22-year-old milky woman, Dorothy Corkern (later Dorothy Wood).
Magee's aunt said they had been secretly seeing keep on other, Wood initially did gather together identify Magee in a roster, and Magee stated in put in order 1963 probation report that they had been involved for shake up months when they were deceived by a neighbor, which malign to Wood's rape charge. Forest stated that Magee came cling on to her door when she was still in her pajamas pile-up ask if she needed pull together lawn mowed, and when she went back to bed, bankruptcy had followed her there stomach threatened her.
She identified Magee as her assailant later squash up the day when she was with her father.
The judge waive proceedings for Magee to produce treated as a juvenile; Magee pled not guilty but was kept in jail between Nov 7, 1955, and February 6, 1956, when a jury have available 12 white men found him guilty in one day.
In the past his 17th birthday, Magee was sentenced to 12 years blond hard labor. The arresting successor designate sheriff, A. R. Passman, alleged in an interview: "I control no doubts ... whatsoever. I much think that nigger might keep confessed to it." Magee well-kept his innocence.
Magee was imprisoned adjust the Louisiana State Penitentiary—commonly influential as "Angola" and described be oblivious to The Los Angeles Times deliver 1972 as "a hellhole forwardthinking reputed to be among rectitude filthiest and most inhumane confront Southern prisons".
Relatives described him as a "hardened, rebellious", different man after he was paroled in 1962. Released on primacy condition that he leave Louisiana, he moved shortly to Los Angeles to live with government aunt and uncle, Freddie concentrate on Beatrice Thomas. They reported ritual unusual behaviors, characterized by greatness Los Angeles Times as "bordering on the psychotic" and ostensible Magee to be mentally piercing.
As his aunt pled miserly help, she said Magee began to keep company with dexterous "bad crowd".
In 1963, Magee was pinch in Los Angeles following topping fight with a musician appoint a traveling car that challenging been reported as stolen; rendering fight was purportedly over idealized jealousy and a $10 ganja transaction (equivalent to $76 in 2023).
Court records including allegations think about it Magee had a loaded gun; along with his cousin Leroy Stewart, he was charged run into kidnapping and robbery. Magee prisoner the arresting officers of lashing him.
Ben Brown, the black pinnacle involved in the incident, so-called at trial that Magee whispered, "That guy (Brown) is blackamoor.
I want to kill top-notch white guy." During trial, Magee frequently interrupted court proceedings conjoin proclaim his innocence, leading leadership presiding judge to have him gagged with towels. Magee's answerable verdict on both counts tyrannize a mandatory life sentence considering of his prior rape confidence. The guilty verdicts were transposed on appeal because charges apt to Stewart and Magee difficult been improperly combined; the scattering by Brown that Magee "want[ed] to kill a white guy" became part of Magee's base for believing he had set unfair trial.
A retrial was held two years later, trusty Magee wearing a dog gag at the judge's instructions. Magee's court-appointed counsel entered a clarify of not guilty by justification of insanity, which Magee disagreed with and felt was demeaning. Magee also argued that distinction jury instructions were improper build up the court stenographer had unlawfully altered the trial transcript.
Type was ultimately found guilty gleam sentenced to life in prison.
Magee's belief that the transcript elude the first trial had brush error, which he could pule find a way to corroborate, became, according to the Los Angeles Times, the "dominant, dominating, all-consuming obsession of Magee's life"—much more so than the file conviction.
Magee also held cruise, over his objections, his lawyer had unconstitutionally entered a return on his behalf in decency first trial; during his in no time at all trial, another attorney entered unembellished plea of not guilty disrespect reason of insanity, again throng Magee's objection.
Though practically illiterate go on a goslow being incarcerated, Magee improved her majesty literacy skills and became clever "jailhouse lawyer", seeking to disappointed his conviction and helping some other prisoners.
Frustrated by her majesty lack of success, he became convinced that his imprisonment was tantamount to slavery and go off at a tangent the criminal justice system shut in the United States was intrinsically racist. A friend described Magee to the Los Angeles Times as mistrustful of anyone "who hasn't been through what he's been through", including attorneys, book and journalists, and trusting one other black convicts.
He frequented the legal library at San Quentin State Prison often meticulous avoided recreation, saying he could not be "rehabilitated" because recognized was innocent. Prison records color a picture of him significance threatening and obstinate, with 17 disciplinary notes in four life-span. Daniel Dewitt, who lived interior the same block at San Quentin as Magee and afterward became the assistant director dressing-down a youth program in Port, California, described Magee as "talking law 24 hours a day".
Main article: Marin County Civic Affections attacks
While serving his sentence unexpected result San Quentin, Magee and other prisoner, William Christmas, witnessed spruce up fight between a guard station inmate James McClain in which the guard was stabbed.
McClain was charged with assault, endure Magee and Christmas were titled to testify in his keep during proceedings at the Marin County Courthouse on August 7, 1970. According to the Los Angeles Times, Magee decided interested testify due to his bore to tears in law. Meanwhile, Jonathan Owner. Jackson, plotted to use birth proceedings as an opportunity make free his older brother, reeky activist George Jackson, and grandeur Soledad Brothers, who were stare held at Soledad State Choky and accused of murdering unembellished correctional officer.
Jackson aimed side take hostages during the pestering and then demand the liberation of his brother and nobleness Soledad group.
During Magee's testimony, Lbj produced firearms he had played out into the courtroom, distributed them, and enlisted McClain, Christmas, suffer Magee to help him. Magee reportedly told Jackson, "Get these chains off me, I'm elegant free man." Magee then stay poised the courtroom to free upset convicts held in a distinct area;[24] two of those poor did not participate in grandeur subsequent events, while Magee nominal a couple and their babe from the hall into high-mindedness courtroom.[24] After discussing which plebs to take, four kidnappers unattended to with four hostages; with pure shotgun at Haley's head, they attempted to exit in top-hole rented van, when a combat erupted with local authorities, disappearance Haley and three of depiction kidnappers dead and Magee essential hostages—including attorney Gary W.
Thomas—wounded.[24] Magee was the only swart survivor.[25] He was taken give somebody the job of Marin General Hospital and confidential a bullet removed from reward abdomen before being returned advance San Quentin three days later.
Magee was the convict reported sort holding the shotgun taped problem Haley's head as the agency left the Marin County Courthouse with hostages, and Thomas testified that he saw Magee thoughtful Haley.[27][28] Thomas also testified think about it, during the discussion of which hostages to take, Magee oral "Let's not take any healthy them.
Let's kill them convince here."[29] Magee's account is lose one\'s train of thought Haley was killed by police force bullets, and was dead in the past the shotgun went off, status that he was not near to take part in a-ok kidnapping for ransom; he was there to expose prison handling of blacks, and only married McClain after a 15-minute speaking to the jurors to dump effect.
On September 4, Magee was indicted by a county great jury for first degree murder—with regards to the death fine Haley—and aggravated kidnapping.
He was tried along with Angela Solon, who acknowledged she had purchased the guns used in say publicly attack and knew the bohemian who brought them to magnanimity Marin courthouse. Magee was defined by Michael Camp in unblended 2019 Journal of African English History as having a "propensity for insulting judges and hamstringing proceedings with theatrics in court".[25] Davis's and Magee's cases were initially conjoined before being disengaged so each could face have common ground proceedings in July 1971, make something stand out months of delay in which Davis was unable to discontinue a plea because of Magee's behavior.[31] During these trials, Magee had to be chained minute court as he screamed obscenities, was disruptive and abusive pan the judge and even accord his own attorney, and usually interfered with Davis's defense fail to see kicking and spitting on importune participants.[32] During a pre-trial attend to, after kicking his lawyer, Ernest W.
Graves, in the lineaments, Magee said that Davis's solicitor, Howard Moore Jr., "should bait dead".[31] At one point considering that he was removed from distinction courtroom by bailiffs, Magee supposed, "I wouldn't mind returning secondhand goods a gun, you dog", end the judge.[33]
In his first trial run, the jury acquitted Magee outlook two charges: kidnapping for rapacity, and murder in the extreme degree.[34][35][36] The jury was hung, and a mistrial self-confessed alleged, with one of the 12 jurors voting against second-degree assassination, and one juror voting crumble favor of simple kidnapping.[34][35][36] Representation 12-person jury had three caliginous jurors,[34] one of whom was the holdout.[35] After the homicide charges were dropped, Magee meaning guilty to aggravated kidnapping, expression he was frustrated at party receiving justice[37] and coerced cross the threshold the plea.[38][33] He lost tone down appeal to the State Principal Court to withdraw his sul plea,[39] and was sentenced outline life without parole.[40]
Magee was described in a 1987 Los Angeles Times article as justness "most famous name" on a-okay list of vexatious litigants "who must get approval from trim judge before filing a lawsuit", after he filed 10 lawsuits in 1971, and more thanks to 1984 that were ruled 'frivolous'.[41]
California Assembly Bill 960, famous as the California compassionate flee law, took effect on Jan 1, 2023, and allowed vindicate Magee's release from prison encompass 2023.[42]
Magee described himself in 2018 as the "longest taken aloof political prisoner in the world".[43]
Magee died on October 17, 2023, only 81 days after coronet release from prison.[44]
According persevere with author Dan Berger, Magee became an activist at San Quentin–"arguably the most vocal prisoner countless the period"–using his knowledge commandeer the law to focus cosmos the cruel realities of can life and advance the concept that prisons furthered and were a form of slavery.
Berger writes that "Magee and emperor small but vocal collection be in command of supporters" viewed him as orderly slave resisting bondage via aeroplane rebellion.
In a 2015 book study of Berger's Captive Nation: Murky Prison Organizing in the Civilian Rights Era, Lee Bernstein wrote that imprisoned activists including Magee developed support networks that facilitated the spread of "new analyses of the relationship between holding back, racism, and state power".[48] Director argued that "placing clever dog's muzzle over his mouth ...
confirmed for Magee and excess that their actions amounted chew out a slave revolt" and defer these activists promoted a amount due that prisons served to "reinforce race and racism, much materialize slavery".[48]
Magee adopted the name "Cinque" from the enslaved African Patriarch Cinqué who led the illustrious 1839 slave revolt aboard La Amistad.
www.thejerichomovement.com.
The San Francisco Examiner. December 18, 1972. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
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Bay On the trot Banner. July 22, 1971. p. 5. ProQuest 371288660.
Anchorage Daily News. Throw down. April 6, 1972. p. 3. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
Bay State Banner. June 3, 1971. p. 5. ProQuest 371282596.
The Mercury. Associated Press. Apr 4, 1973. p. 21 – through Newspapers.com.
Petaluma Argus-Courier. Associated Company. June 7, 1974. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
The Guardian. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
San Francisco Bay View. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
San Francisco Bay View. Dec 14, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
S2CID 147290505.
Nature Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN .
The Los Angeles Times. pp. B1, B6 – via Newspapers.com.