who was the african american attorney who defended david duke

by Laney Bartell 5 min read

Full Answer

See more

What was the case of Black v. Baugh?

To Baugh the case was about protecting the Constitution, rather than protecting Black. During the trial, Baugh made First Amendment-based objections to some of the trial judge’s jury instructions. The judge rejected those arguments and submitted the case to the jury, which found Black guilty and fined him $2,500.

Who represented Barry Elton Black?

But David P. Baugh has. Baugh represented Ku Klux Klan member Barry Elton Black when Black was prosecuted for burning a cross at a Klan rally in Virginia in 1998. The case ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court. But that was not the Richmond, Va.-based attorney’s only defense of the First Amendment.

What does Baugh say about the Bill of Rights?

Americans must respect the principles underlying the Bill of Rights, Baugh affirms. “Principles are what make us American,” he said. “Our Constitution, including the First Amendment , is our moral rudder. It keeps us going straight and we have to have faith in it.”.

What is the role of attorney Baugh?

As a volunteer attorney for the A CLU, Baugh has represented several students in cases implicating constitutional law principles. Though the cases he handled were Fourth Amendment search-and-seizure cases, Baugh also believes strongly that young people should not lose their First Amendment rights in school.

What was the Virginia law that was a content based restriction on speech that could only be justified by the highest form?

The appeals court reasoned that the Virginia law was a content-based restriction on speech that could only be justified by the highest form of judicial review known as strict scrutiny. The case went back down to the district court and Baugh prevailed. The Black case.

Who wrote that Baugh was criticized by his friends, colleagues and neighbors?

First Amendment expert Robert O’Neil, founder of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, wrote in a column that Baugh was indeed criticized by “friends, colleagues and neighbors,” African-American as well as white. It didn’t matter.

Was Anthony Griffin dismissed from the NAACP?

Baugh says he didn’t receive nearly the level of criticism of Texas attorney Anthony Griffin, who was dismissed from the Texas NAACP for his defense of a Klan member in the early 1990s. “Now, Anthony Griffin was a true hero,” Baugh says. However, there was some criticism of Baugh for taking the case.

What was Duke charged with?

Duke was charged in 1972 with soliciting funds for the George Wallace for President campaign and then illegally pocketing the proceeds. He was also charged with breaking a New Orleans ordinance prohibiting filling glass containers with flammable liquid. Both charges eventually were dropped.

Who is David Duke?

David Duke is the most recognizable figure of the American radical right, a neo-Nazi, longtime Klan leader and now international spokesman for Holocaust denial who has nevertheless won election to Louisiana's House of Representatives and once was nearly elected governor.

Why was Duke arrested?

In 2011, Duke was arrested in Cologne, Germany, while on his way to address a group of rightwing extremists. German authorities detained him for a few days before deporting him back to Austria. The former Klan leader, they said, was “not entitled to stay in Germany” because of a travel ban in an unspecified European country, probably Switzerland.

Why did Duke write an open letter to the world?

In protest, Duke issued a self-righteous “Open Letter to the World” to set the record straight on his allegedly innocuous “basic beliefs and principles.”. He was not a white supremacist but rather a supporter of every people’s “right to preserve their freedom and their identity.”. He was not a Holocaust denier but “a Holocaust exposer.”.

How much did Duke win in the 1990 presidential election?

In 1990, Duke announced his candidacy in the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat. In the end, he raised an astonishing $2.4 million and won 607,391 votes (about 60% of the white Republican vote), but lost the primary.

How long was Duke in prison?

He served 15 months in a federal prison and was fined $10,000.

Why did David Duke go to jail?

He is also known for his avid pursuit of women and, especially, money — so much so, in fact, that he finally went to prison in 2002 for using cash raised to support white supremacist causes to pay for his own gambling and home improvements. Since then, Duke has become an itinerant anti-Semitic salesman, ...

Who disavowed David Duke?

On Friday, Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said Trump “has disavowed David Duke and will continue to do so.”

Who is David Duke?

David Duke is a Louisiana politician who used to be a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Duke says he was the first to promote the "America First" slogan. Washington CNN —. Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke announced his US Senate campaign Friday in Louisiana, promising to defend the rights of European Americans.

What party opposes David Duke?

The Republican Party of Louisiana said Duke history of “hate” causes them to oppose his candidacy. “David Duke’s history of hate marks a dark stain on Louisiana’s past and has no place in our current conversation,” the group said in a statement. “The Republican Party of Louisiana will play an active role in opposing David Duke’s candidacy.”.

What does Duke say about European Americans?

Duke, a former Republican state representative and convicted felon, said his emphasis on the rights of European Americans is what distinguishes him. “I believe in equal rights for all and respect for all Americans. However what makes me different is I also demand respect for the rights and the heritage of European Americans,” he said.

Overview

Political and ideological activities

Duke first ran for a seat in the Louisiana State Senate as a Democrat from a Baton Rouge district in 1975. During his campaign, he was allowed to speak on the college campuses of Vanderbilt University, Indiana University, the University of Southern California, Stanford University, and Tulane University. He received 11,079 votes, one-third of those cast.
Duke ran for a seat in the state senate again in 1979, but placed second to incumbent Senator J…

Early life

Duke was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Maxine (née Crick) and David Hedger Duke, the younger of two children. As the son of an engineer for Shell Oil Company, Duke frequently moved with his family around the world. During 1954, they lived a short time in the Netherlands before settling in an all-white area of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1955. His mother was an alcoholic; his father perma…

Antisemitism

In 1998, Duke self-published the autobiographical My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding. The book details Duke's social philosophies, including his advocacy of racial separation:
We [Whites] desire to live in our own neighborhoods, go to our own schools, work in our own cities and towns, and ultimately live as one extended family i…

Other affiliations and associations

In 1995, Don Black and Chloê Hardin, Duke's ex-wife, began a bulletin board system (BBS) called Stormfront. The website has become a prominent online forum for white nationalism, white separatism, Holocaust denial, neo-Nazism, hate speech and racism. Duke is an active user of Stormfront, where he posts articles from his own website and polls forum members for opinions and questions. Duke has worked with Don Black on numerous occasions, including on Operation …

Legal difficulties and felony conviction

On December 12, 2002, David Duke pleaded guilty to the felony charge of filing a false tax return under 26 U.S.C. § 7206 and mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1341 According to The New York Times: "Mr. Duke was accused of telling supporters that he was in financial straits, then misusing the money they sent him from 1993 to 1999. He was also accused of filing a false 1998 tax return... Mr. Duke used the money for personal investments and gambling trips... [T]he [supporter] contributions w…

Other publications

To raise money in 1976, Duke (using the double pseudonym James Konrad and Dorothy Vanderbilt) wrote a self-help book for women, Finders-Keepers: Finding and Keeping the Man You Want. The book contains sexual, diet, fashion, cosmetic and relationship advice, and was published by Arlington Place Books, an offshoot of the National Socialist White People's Party. Tulane University history professor Lawrence N. Powell, who read a rare copy of the book given t…

Personal life

While working in the White Youth Alliance, Duke met Chloê Eleanor Hardin, who was also active in the group. They remained companions throughout college and married in 1974. Hardin is the mother of Duke's two daughters, Erika and Kristin. The Dukes divorced in 1984, and Chloe moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, in order to be near her parents. There, she became involved with Duke's Klan friend Don Black, whom she later married. Duke rented out an apartment in Moscow b…