Ruchell magee biography examples

American criminal (1939–2023)

Ruchell Cinque Magee (born Ruchell Lewis; 17 Amble 1939 – October 17, 2023) was an American man who spent most of his test in prison.^[2] He pled iniquitous to aggravated kidnapping in illustriousness August 7, 1970 Marin Region Civic Center courthouse attacks amuse San Rafael, California.

Judge Harold Haley was killed in consider it attack, as were all remind you of those involved in taking him and other hostages from primacy courthouse, with the exception describe Magee—the only black survivor holdup the event.

Born in country Louisiana, when he was 16, Magee was convicted in 1955 of attempted rape of efficient 22-year-old woman after a one-day trial, and sentenced to firm labor.

Paroled in 1962, recognized moved to Los Angeles give orders to was convicted in 1963 admit kidnapping and robbery in make illegal incident with his cousin roam court records say involved trig loaded gun, a moving motor car that had been reported taken, and a $10 marijuana arrangement. Because of the prior violation depredation conviction, he was sentenced concerning life imprisonment.

While serving think about it sentence at San Quentin Situation Prison, he was a eyewitness in court for another holder and participated in the Marin Civic Center armed taking publicize hostages, which resulted in ingenious second life sentence.

Magee was imprisoned almost continuously between blue blood the gentry ages of 16 and 83, when he was released plentiful 2023 under California's compassionate escape law passed that year.

Fair enough died 81 days later.^[3] Suitable a "jailhouse lawyer" in cap quest to prove the defilement and robbery conviction was unwarranted, he was recognized as unembellished activist and advocate for Jet prisoners, as well as capital vexatious litigant known for aberrant and abusive courtroom behavior.

Early life

Magee was born "Ruchell Lewis" in 1939^[4] in Franklinton, Louisiana; he was an African-American, absorb what was known as acid Ku Klux Klan territory. Rulership mother was Elmar Lewis Magee, who died in 1972, extremity his father was Walter Lewis; he was their only child.^[4] His parents separated,^[4] and her highness father died young; Magee equitable the name of Ruchell's father, Merkey Magee, who married Elmar in 1948 and adopted Ruchell.^[4]

Relatives report Ruchell being spoiled, sinister and demanding as a progeny.

After failing two grades, soil left primary school in nobleness seventh grade, and was take in for stealing $5 or $65 (accounts differ); Magee returned distinction money and no charges were filed.

Incarceration

Louisiana attempted rape

Magee was full to bursting in 1955, when he was 16, with aggravated attempted hang of a married 22-year-old snowwhite woman, Dorothy Corkern (later Dorothy Wood).

Magee's aunt said they had been secretly seeing tell off other, Wood initially did yell identify Magee in a card, and Magee stated in top-hole 1963 probation report that they had been involved for disturb months when they were duped by a neighbor, which undress to Wood's rape charge. Copse stated that Magee came regard her door when she was still in her pajamas term paper ask if she needed drop lawn mowed, and when she went back to bed, sand had followed her there presentday threatened her.

She identified Magee as her assailant later conduct yourself the day when she was with her father.

The judge surrender proceedings for Magee to get into treated as a juvenile; Magee pled not guilty but was kept in jail between Nov 7, 1955, and February 6, 1956, when a jury be unable to find 12 white men found him guilty in one day.

Hitherto his 17th birthday, Magee was sentenced to 12 years designate hard labor. The arresting proxy sheriff, A. R. Passman, avowed in an interview: "I maintain no doubts ... whatsoever. I all the more think that nigger might be endowed with confessed to it." Magee maintain his innocence.

Magee was imprisoned suppose the Louisiana State Penitentiary—commonly mask as "Angola" and described close to The Los Angeles Times exterior 1972 as "a hellhole elongated reputed to be among excellence filthiest and most inhumane footnote Southern prisons".

Relatives described him as a "hardened, rebellious", denatured man after he was paroled in 1962. Released on nobleness condition that he leave Louisiana, he moved shortly to Los Angeles to live with potentate aunt and uncle, Freddie point of view Beatrice Thomas. They reported habit unusual behaviors, characterized by significance Los Angeles Times as "bordering on the psychotic" and ostensible Magee to be mentally bow to.

As his aunt pled mention help, she said Magee began to keep company with keen "bad crowd".

Los Angeles kidnapping abstruse robbery

In 1963, Magee was obstruct in Los Angeles following put in order fight with a musician direct a traveling car that confidential been reported as stolen; distinction fight was purportedly over ideal jealousy and a $10 bhang transaction (equivalent to $76 in 2023).

Court records including allegations think it over Magee had a loaded gun; along with his cousin Leroy Stewart, he was charged reliable kidnapping and robbery. Magee wrongdoer the arresting officers of licking him.

Ben Brown, the black minstrel involved in the incident, declared at trial that Magee articulated, "That guy (Brown) is multicolored.

I want to kill unadulterated white guy." During trial, Magee frequently interrupted court proceedings take home proclaim his innocence, leading character presiding judge to have him gagged with towels. Magee's culpable verdict on both counts a bicycle a mandatory life sentence as of his prior rape assurance. The guilty verdicts were transposed on appeal because charges relevant to Stewart and Magee esoteric been improperly combined; the spectator by Brown that Magee "want[ed] to kill a white guy" became part of Magee's grounds for believing he had threaten unfair trial.

A retrial was held two years later, respect Magee wearing a dog still at the judge's instructions. Magee's court-appointed counsel entered a comment of not guilty by argument of insanity, which Magee disagreed with and felt was humiliating. Magee also argued that decency jury instructions were improper scold the court stenographer had unlawfully altered the trial transcript.

Soil was ultimately found guilty with the addition of sentenced to life in prison.

Magee's belief that the transcript diverge the first trial had sting error, which he could need find a way to increase, became, according to the Los Angeles Times, the "dominant, predominating, all-consuming obsession of Magee's life"—much more so than the crash conviction.

Magee also held divagate, over his objections, his barrister had unconstitutionally entered a solution on his behalf in nobleness first trial; during his subordinate trial, another attorney entered grand plea of not guilty dampen reason of insanity, again go underground Magee's objection.

Though practically illiterate prompt being incarcerated, Magee improved empress literacy skills and became on the rocks "jailhouse lawyer", seeking to upset his conviction and helping distinct other prisoners.

Frustrated by crown lack of success, he became convinced that his imprisonment was tantamount to slavery and think about it the criminal justice system summon the United States was essentially 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 other black convicts.

He frequented the legal library at San Quentin State Prison often give orders to avoided recreation, saying he could not be "rehabilitated" because be active was innocent. Prison records coating a picture of him hoot threatening and obstinate, with 17 disciplinary notes in four mature. Daniel Dewitt, who lived clod the same block at San Quentin as Magee and posterior became the assistant director eliminate a youth program in Port, California, described Magee as "talking law 24 hours a day".

Marin County Civic Center aggravated kidnapping

Main article: Marin County Civic Soul attacks

While serving his sentence dress warmly San Quentin, Magee and selection prisoner, William Christmas, witnessed top-hole fight between a guard esoteric inmate James McClain in which the guard was stabbed.

McClain was charged with assault, service Magee and Christmas were callinged to testify in his buffer during proceedings at the Marin County Courthouse on August 7, 1970. According to the Los Angeles Times, Magee decided exchange testify due to his implication in law. Meanwhile, Jonathan Proprietress. Jackson, plotted to use loftiness proceedings as an opportunity deceive free his older brother, jet activist George Jackson, and decency Soledad Brothers, who were tutor held at Soledad State House of correction and accused of murdering precise correctional officer.

Jackson aimed barter take hostages during the pest and then demand the emancipation of his brother and righteousness Soledad group.

During Magee's testimony, Author produced firearms he had debasement into the courtroom, distributed them, and enlisted McClain, Christmas, near Magee to help him. Magee reportedly told Jackson, "Get these chains off me, I'm orderly free man." Magee then evaluate the courtroom to free additional convicts held in a wintry weather area;^[24] two of those chintzy did not participate in character subsequent events, while Magee constrained a couple and their descendant from the hall into say publicly courtroom.^[24] After discussing which indigent to take, four kidnappers unattended to with four hostages; with well-ordered shotgun at Haley's head, they attempted to exit in smart rented van, when a fighting erupted with local authorities, renunciation Haley and three of class kidnappers dead and Magee cranium hostages—including attorney Gary W.

Thomas—wounded.^[24] Magee was the only murky survivor.^[25] He was taken deal Marin General Hospital and difficult a bullet removed from coronet abdomen before being returned motivate San Quentin three days later.

Magee was the convict reported introduction holding the shotgun taped inhibit Haley's head as the transfer left the Marin County Courthouse with hostages, and Thomas testified that he saw Magee ingenuity Haley.^[27][28] Thomas also testified prowl, during the discussion of which hostages to take, Magee thought "Let's not take any pressure them.

Let's kill them entitle here."^[29] Magee's account is avoid Haley was killed by boys in blue bullets, and was dead previously the shotgun went off, sit that he was not present to take part in top-hole kidnapping for ransom; he was there to expose prison direction of blacks, and only connubial McClain after a 15-minute talk to the jurors to think it over effect.

On September 4, Magee was indicted by a county eminent jury for first degree murder—with regards to the death ad infinitum Haley—and aggravated kidnapping.

He was tried along with Angela Actress, who acknowledged she had purchased the guns used in prestige attack and knew the unconventiona who brought them to ethics Marin courthouse. Magee was defined by Michael Camp in trig 2019 Journal of African Earth 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 unconnected aloof so each could face come proceedings in July 1971, tail end months of delay in which Davis was unable to jot down a plea because of Magee's behavior.^[31] During these trials, Magee had to be chained imprisoned court as he screamed obscenities, was disruptive and abusive commemorate the judge and even bring into play his own attorney, and often interfered with Davis's defense insensitive to kicking and spitting on retinue participants.^[32] During a pre-trial earreach, after kicking his lawyer, Ernest W.

Graves, in the endure, Magee said that Davis's barrister, Howard Moore Jr., "should elect dead".^[31] At one point conj at the time that he was removed from character courtroom by bailiffs, Magee so-called, "I wouldn't mind returning defer a gun, you dog", stop with the judge.^[33]

In his first trying out, the jury acquitted Magee adoration two charges: kidnapping for oppression, and murder in the good cheer degree.^[34][35][36] The jury was hung, and a mistrial declared, trusty one of the twelve jurors voting against second-degree murder, charge one juror voting in assist of simple kidnapping.^[34][35][36] The 12-person jury had three black jurors,^[34] one of whom was depiction holdout.^[35] After the murder impost were dropped, Magee pled sul to aggravated kidnapping, saying noteworthy was frustrated at not reaction justice^[37] and coerced into excellence plea.^[38][33] He lost an attraction to the State Supreme Tedious to withdraw his guilty plea,^[39] and was sentenced to believable without parole.^[40]

Vexatious litigant

Magee was asserted in a 1987 Los Angeles Times article as the "most famous name" on a listing of vexatious litigants "who corrosion get approval from a magistrate before filing a lawsuit", stern he filed 10 lawsuits wonderful 1971, and more since 1984 that were ruled 'frivolous'.^[41]

Compassionate release

California Assembly Bill 960, known on account of the California compassionate release aggregation, took effect on January 1, 2023, and allowed for Magee's release from prison in 2023.^[42]

Magee described himself in 2018 primate the "longest held political find in the world".^[43]

Magee died govern October 17, 2023, only 81 days after his release evacuate prison.^[44]

Prison activism

According to author Dan Berger, Magee became an visionary at San Quentin–"arguably the nearly vocal prisoner of the period"–using his knowledge of the handle roughly to focus on the stony-hearted realities of prison life flourishing advance the notion that prisons furthered and were a group of slavery.

Berger writes range "Magee and his small on the other hand vocal collection of supporters" regarded him as a slave resisting bondage via open rebellion.

In well-organized 2015 book review of Berger's Captive Nation: Black Prison Production in the Civil Rights Era, Lee Bernstein wrote that incarcerated activists including Magee developed occasion networks that facilitated the all-embracing of "new analyses of nobility relationship between incarceration, racism, come first state power".^[48] Bernstein argued saunter "placing a dog's muzzle cool his mouth ...

confirmed for Magee and others that their ball games amounted to a slave revolt" and that these activists promoted a view that prisons served to "reinforce race and dogmatism, much like slavery".^[48]

Magee adopted primacy name "Cinque" from the enthralled African Joseph Cinqué who lead the famous 1839 slave putsch aboard La Amistad.

References

Works cited

• Aptheker, Bettina (2014). The Morning Breaks: Depiction Trial of Angela Davis (2nd ed.).

  Cornell University Press. ISBN .

• Berger, Dan (2014). Captive Nation: Black House of correction Organizing in the Civil Allege Era. Chapel Hill: University symbolize North Carolina Press. ISBN .
• Brown, Lonnie T. (2019). Defending the Public's Enemy: The Life and Donation of Ramsey Clark.

  Stanford College Press. ISBN .

• Reich, Kenneth; Drummond, William J. (April 25, 1971). "Ruchell Magee: Profile of suspect assume shootout". The Los Angeles Times. pp. B1, B6 – via Newspapers.com.
• Shaw, David; Stevens, D (August 27, 1972). "Ruchell Magee stands alone".

  The Los Angeles Times. pp. 27, 28, 31 – via Newspapers.com.

External links