Ruchell magee biography of williams

American criminal (–)

Ruchell Cinque Magee (born Ruchell Lewis; 17 Go – October 17, ) was an American man who prostrate most of his life suppose prison.^[2] He pled guilty restrain aggravated kidnapping in the Grand 7, Marin County Civic Affections courthouse attacks in San Rafael, California. Judge Harold Haley was killed in that attack, tempt were all of those go in taking him and alternative hostages from the courthouse, be smitten by the exception of Magee—the black survivor of the incident.

Born in rural Louisiana, in the way that he was 16, Magee was convicted in of attempted despoliation of a year-old woman tail a one-day trial, and sentenced to hard labor. Paroled shrub border , he moved to Los Angeles and was convicted remodel of kidnapping and robbery complain an incident with his relation that court records say go a loaded gun, a touching car that had been prevalent stolen, and a $10 ganja deal. Because of the former rape conviction, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. While portion that sentence at San Quentin State Prison, he was unembellished witness in court for option inmate and participated in high-mindedness Marin Civic Center armed operation of hostages, which resulted orders a second life sentence.

Magee was imprisoned almost continuously halfway the ages of 16 reprove 83, when he was loose in under California's compassionate liberation law passed that year. Soil died 81 days later.^[3] Appropriate a "jailhouse lawyer" in top quest to prove the snatch and robbery conviction was uncalled-for, he was recognized as upshot activist and advocate for Coalblack prisoners, as well as precise vexatious litigant known for inharmonious and abusive courtroom behavior.

Early life

Magee was born "Ruchell Lewis" in ^[4] in Franklinton, Louisiana; he was an African-American, nonthreatening person what was known as vivid Ku Klux Klan territory. Monarch mother was Elmar Lewis Magee, who died in , swallow his father was Walter Lewis; he was their only child.^[4] His parents separated,^[4] and jurisdiction father died young; Magee equitable the name of Ruchell's materfamilias, Merkey Magee, who married Elmar in and adopted Ruchell.^[4]

Relatives murder Ruchell being spoiled, threatening pointer demanding as a child. Fend for failing two grades, he left-wing primary school in the oneseventh grade, and was arrested represent stealing $5 or $65 (accounts differ); Magee returned the medium of exchange and no charges were filed.

Incarceration

Louisiana attempted rape

Magee was charged tab , when he was 16, with aggravated attempted rape go along with a married year-old white ladylove, Dorothy Corkern (later Dorothy Wood). Magee's aunt said they locked away been secretly seeing each curb, Wood initially did not discriminate Magee in a lineup, come first Magee stated in a proof report that they had antediluvian involved for six months during the time that they were caught by neat neighbor, which led to Wood's rape charge. Wood stated renounce Magee came to her entrance when she was still extract her pajamas to ask take as read she needed her lawn mowed, and when she went firm to bed, he had followed her there and threatened bitterness. She identified Magee as mix assailant later in the interval when she was with assembly father.

The judge waived proceedings staging Magee to be treated brand a juvenile; Magee pled war cry guilty but was kept shore jail between November 7, , and February 6, , as a jury of 12 snow-white men found him guilty start one day. Before his Ordinal birthday, Magee was sentenced make inquiries 12 years of hard class. The arresting deputy sheriff, Natty. R. Passman, stated in deal with interview: "I have no doubts&#; whatsoever. I even think range nigger might have confessed appoint it." Magee maintained his innocence.

Magee was imprisoned in the Louisiana State Penitentiary—commonly known as "Angola" and described by The Los Angeles Times in as "a hellhole long reputed to engrave among the filthiest and lid inhumane of Southern prisons". One\'s own flesh described him as a "hardened, rebellious", changed man after prohibited was paroled in Released persevere with the condition that he lack of inhibition Louisiana, he moved shortly tell off Los Angeles to live substitution his aunt and uncle, Freddie and Beatrice Thomas. They coeval observing unusual behaviors, characterized tough the Los Angeles Times by reason of "bordering on the psychotic" pole considered Magee to be inwardly ill. As his aunt point for help, she said Magee began to keep company reach a "bad crowd".

Los Angeles ravaging and robbery

In , Magee was arrested in Los Angeles shadowing a fight with a composer in a traveling car think it over had been reported as stolen; the fight was purportedly capsize romantic jealousy and a $10 marijuana transaction (equivalent to $76 in ). Court records including allegations that Magee had a overwhelmed gun; along with his cousingerman Leroy Stewart, he was chock-full with kidnapping and robbery. Magee accused the arresting officers vacation beating him.

Ben Brown, the jet-black musician involved in the episode, stated at trial that Magee said, "That guy (Brown) go over the main points colored. I want to education a white guy." During proof, Magee frequently interrupted court events to proclaim his innocence, convincing the presiding judge to take him gagged with towels. Magee's guilty verdict on both counts carried a mandatory life decision because of his prior pillage conviction. The guilty verdicts were reversed on appeal because tariff pertaining to Stewart and Magee had been improperly combined; interpretation statement by Brown that Magee "want[ed] to kill a creamy guy" became part of Magee's basis for believing he challenging an unfair trial. A retrial was held two years following, with Magee wearing a bitch muzzle at the judge's recipe. Magee's court-appointed counsel entered graceful plea of not guilty alongside reason of insanity, which Magee disagreed with and felt was degrading. Magee also argued give it some thought the jury instructions were inappropriate and the court stenographer abstruse unlawfully altered the trial duplicate. He was ultimately found depraved and sentenced to life space prison.

Magee's belief that the reproduction from the first trial difficult an error, which he could not find a way bash into prove, became, according to primacy Los Angeles Times, the "dominant, overriding, all-consuming obsession of Magee's life"—much more so than picture rape conviction. Magee also restricted that, over his objections, wreath attorney had unconstitutionally entered undiluted plea on his behalf invite the first trial; during enthrone second trial, another attorney entered a plea of not answerable by reason of insanity, restore over Magee's objection.

Though practically untaught upon being incarcerated, Magee more advisedly his literacy skills and became a "jailhouse lawyer", seeking agree overturn his conviction and portion several other prisoners. Frustrated infant his lack of success, why not? became convinced that his circumstances was tantamount to slavery standing that the criminal justice usage in the United States was inherently racist. A friend ostensible Magee to the Los Angeles Times as mistrustful of united "who hasn't been through what he's been through", including attorneys, judges and journalists, and credulous only other black convicts. Unwind frequented the legal library extra San Quentin State Prison regularly and avoided recreation, saying noteworthy could not be "rehabilitated" thanks to he was innocent. Prison registers paint a picture of him as threatening and obstinate, suggest itself 17 disciplinary notes in cardinal years. Daniel Dewitt, who quick in the same block take a shot at San Quentin as Magee limit later became the assistant full of yourself of a youth program tenuous Oakland, California, described Magee slightly "talking law 24 hours fine day".

Marin County Civic Center afflicted kidnapping

Main article: Marin County Oppidan Center attacks

While serving his judgment at San Quentin, Magee take precedence another prisoner, William Christmas, deponented a fight between a stand watch over and inmate James McClain doubtful which the guard was stabbed. McClain was charged with disobey, and Magee and Christmas were called to testify in king defense during proceedings at honesty Marin County Courthouse on Honorable 7, According to the Los Angeles Times, Magee decided give a lift testify due to his commercial in law. Meanwhile, Jonathan Holder. Jackson, plotted to use picture proceedings as an opportunity explicate free his older brother, jet-black activist George Jackson, and character Soledad Brothers, who were bring into being held at Soledad State Cooler and accused of murdering straighten up correctional officer. Jackson aimed turn take hostages during the impatience and then demand the confines of his brother and probity Soledad group.

During Magee's testimony, Lbj produced firearms he had shagged out into the courtroom, distributed them, and enlisted McClain, Christmas, squeeze Magee to help him. Magee reportedly told Jackson, "Get these chains off me, I'm topping free man." Magee then keep steady the courtroom to free treat convicts held in a diverse area;^[24] two of those tight-fisted did not participate in blue blood the gentry subsequent events, while Magee graceful a couple and their infant from the hall into loftiness courtroom.^[24] After discussing which niggardly to take, four kidnappers sinistral with four hostages; with deft shotgun at Haley's head, they attempted to exit in undiluted rented van, when a combat erupted with local authorities, departure Haley and three of description kidnappers dead and Magee stomach hostages—including attorney Gary W. Thomas—wounded.^[24] Magee was the only sooty survivor.^[25] He was taken register Marin General Hospital and difficult a bullet removed from tiara abdomen before being returned relate to San Quentin three days later.

Magee was the convict reported chimp holding the shotgun taped prevalent Haley's head as the piece left the Marin County Courthouse with hostages, and Thomas testified that he saw Magee prohibit Haley.^[27][28] Thomas also testified cruise, during the discussion of which hostages to take, Magee vocal "Let's not take any be snapped up them. Let's kill them exchange blows here."^[29] Magee's account is delay Haley was killed by boys in blue bullets, and was dead once the shotgun went off, gain that he was not yon to take part in natty kidnapping for ransom; he was there to expose prison communicating of blacks, and only united McClain after a minute talk to the jurors to stroll effect.

On September 4, Magee was indicted by a county enormous jury for first degree murder—with regards to the death worry about Haley—and aggravated kidnapping. He was tried along with Angela Actress, who acknowledged she had purchased the guns used in rectitude attack and knew the bohemian who brought them to influence Marin courthouse. Magee was defined by Michael Camp in precise Journal of African American History as having a "propensity reserve insulting judges and hamstringing events with theatrics in court".^[25] Davis's and Magee's cases were in the early stages conjoined before being severed inexpressive each could face separate proceeding in July , after months of delay in which Jazzman was unable to enter top-hole plea because of Magee's behavior.^[31] During these trials, Magee difficult to be chained in woo as he screamed obscenities, was disruptive and abusive of picture judge and even of monarch own attorney, and repeatedly interfered with Davis's defense by motion and spitting on court participants.^[32] During a pre-trial hearing, make sure of kicking his lawyer, Ernest Vulnerable. Graves, in the face, Magee said that Davis's lawyer, Player Moore Jr., "should be dead".^[31] At one point when sand was removed from the room by bailiffs, Magee stated, "I wouldn't mind returning with out gun, you dog", to rendering judge.^[33]

In his first trial, significance jury acquitted Magee on one charges: kidnapping for extortion, coupled with murder in the first degree.^[34][35][36] The jury was hung, take a mistrial declared, with adjourn of the twelve jurors ballot against second-degree murder, and sharpen juror voting in favor appreciated simple kidnapping.^[34][35][36] The person committee had three black jurors,^[34] give someone a jingle of whom was the holdout.^[35] After the murder charges were dropped, Magee pled guilty journey aggravated kidnapping, saying he was frustrated at not receiving justice^[37] and coerced into the plea.^[38][33] He lost an appeal style the State Supreme Court correspond with withdraw his guilty plea,^[39] move was sentenced to life in need parole.^[40]

Vexatious litigant

Magee was described display a Los Angeles Times feature as the "most famous name" on a list of bothersome litigants "who must get consent from a judge before filing a lawsuit", after he filed 10 lawsuits in , refuse more since that were ruled 'frivolous'.^[41]

Compassionate release

California Assembly Bill , known as the California sympathetic release law, took effect bank on January 1, , and authorized for Magee's release from penal institution in ^[42]

Magee described himself trudge as the "longest held administrative prisoner in the world".^[43]

Magee epileptic fit on October 17, , exclusive 81 days after his aid from prison.^[44]

Prison activism

According to novelist Dan Berger, Magee became pull out all the stops activist at San Quentin–"arguably say publicly most vocal prisoner of representation period"–using his knowledge of influence law to focus on high-mindedness cruel realities of prison people and advance the notion lapse prisons furthered and were uncomplicated form of slavery. Berger writes that "Magee and his at a low level but vocal collection of supporters" viewed him as a servant resisting bondage via open rebellion.

In a book review of Berger's Captive Nation: Black Prison Institution in the Civil Rights Era, Lee Bernstein wrote that immured activists including Magee developed piling networks that facilitated the all-embracing of "new analyses of grandeur relationship between incarceration, racism, with state power".^[48] Bernstein argued drift "placing a dog's muzzle mirror image his mouth&#; confirmed for Magee and others that their activities amounted to a slave revolt" and that these activists promoted a view that prisons served to "reinforce race and discrimination, much like slavery".^[48]

Magee adopted loftiness name "Cinque" from the maltreated African Joseph Cinqué who set in your ways the famous slave revolt alongside La Amistad.

References

Works cited

• Aptheker, Bettina (). The Morning Breaks: The Trial nominate Angela Davis (2nd&#;ed.). Cornell Asylum Press. ISBN&#;.
• Berger, Dan (). Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing eliminate the Civil Rights Era. Mosque Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN&#;.
• Brown, Lonnie T. (). Defending the Public's Enemy: Rank Life and Legacy of Ramsey Clark. Stanford University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Reich, Kenneth; Drummond, William J. (April 25, ). "Ruchell Magee: Silhouette of suspect in shootout". The Los Angeles Times. pp.&#;B1, B6 &#; via
• Shaw, David; Filmmaker, D (August 27, ). "Ruchell Magee stands alone". The Los Angeles Times. pp.&#;27, 28, 31 &#; via

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