who was the attorney for the chicago seven

by Emma Lockman 7 min read

Portrait of the Chicago 7 and their lawyers. From left: lawyer Leonard Weinglass, Rennie Davis, Abbie Hoffman, Lee Weiner, David Dellinger, John Froines, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, and lawyer William Kunstler. On February 18, 1970, each of the seven defendants was acquitted of conspiracy.Apr 19, 2021

What is the Chicago 7 Conspiracy Trial?

Oct 16, 2020 · 'The Trial of the Chicago 7': Who was the real William Kunstler? Lawyer's love for publicity masked a hard edge Kunstler was known as a left-wing lawyer, often taking on clients who were unpopular and disliked and was criticized as a publicity hound

Who is the lawyer in Chicago?

Aug 11, 2000 · Thomas Aquinas Foran, a Chicago trial lawyer best known as the pugnacious prosecutor in the Chicago Seven conspiracy case of 1969 and 1970, died on Sunday at his home in suburban Lake Forest, Ill.

Who is the Chicago Council of lawyers?

Oct 20, 2020 · Former federal prosecutor Dick Schultz, 82, is the last living attorney from either side of the Chicago 7 trial.

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Who was the defense attorney for the Chicago 7?

William Moses KunstlerWilliam Moses Kunstler (July 7, 1919 – September 4, 1995) was an American lawyer and civil rights activist, known for defending the Chicago Seven....William Kunstlerc. 1989BornWilliam Moses KunstlerJuly 7, 1919 New York City, New York, U.S.DiedSeptember 4, 1995 (aged 76) New York City, New York, U.S.4 more rows

What happened to the prosecuting attorney in the Chicago 7 trial?

Seale was ultimately severed from the trial and sentenced by Hoffman to four years for criminal contempt, a term later reversed by the appellate court. The government chose not to retry him on the conspiracy charges.Oct 19, 2020

What happened to Richard Schultz prosecutor?

Schultz had already left the U.S. Attorney's Office by the time the convictions for the Chicago 7 were overturned. He went on to become a trial attorney for corporate clients, work that took him around the globe. Schultz, now age 82, retired 12 years ago.Nov 4, 2020

Did Tom Hayden rise for the judge?

No. In the movie's climactic moment at the end of the trial, Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) stands and defies the judge's instruction and begins reading the 4,752 names of soldiers killed in Vietnam. It's a defining moment in the film, but according to court transcripts, Hayden didn't do this in real life.

What became of Richard Schultz?

Prior to signing on as Assistant U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois (a job he left shortly after the Chicago Seven Trial) in 1964, Schultz had attended DePaul Law School, where he was Editor-in Chief of the Law Review. Shultz now practices in the firm of Foran & Schultz.

How old is Richard Schultz?

Richard Schultz, Designer Who Made the Outdoors Modern, Dies at 95 - The New York Times.Oct 11, 2021

Did Ramsey Clark testify Chicago 7?

There was a voir dire proceeding in which the defense tried to introduce Clark as a witness. He was ultimately barred from participating by Judge Hoffman, but nowhere in that preliminary testimony is there discussion of a call with President Johnson.Oct 17, 2020

What happened Thomas Foran?

Thomas Aquinas Foran, a Chicago trial lawyer best known as the pugnacious prosecutor in the Chicago Seven conspiracy case of 1969 and 1970, died on Sunday at his home in suburban Lake Forest, Ill. He was 76. The cause was cancer, his family said.Aug 11, 2000

What was the Chicago Eight charged with?

All of the defendants were charged with and acquitted of conspiracy; Hoffman, Rubin, Dellinger, Hayden, and Davis were charged with and convicted of crossing state lines with intent to incite a riot;

When did the Tet Offensive happen?

In early 1968, the Tet Offensive against American forces in Vietnam occurred, as well as unprecedented protests on university campuses, and MOBE opened a Chicago office directed by Rennie Davis and Tom Hayden, who were former leaders of Students for a Democratic Society. Festival of Life poster, 1968.

Who was the judge in the Chicago protests?

On September 9, 1968, three days after the release of the Daley administration report on the violence at the Chicago convention, Chief Judge William J. Campbell of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois convened a grand jury to investigate whether the organizers of the demonstrations had violated federal law and whether any police officers had interfered with the civil rights of the protestors.

What was the Democratic Party's main goal in 1968?

In the fall of 1967, the Democratic Party selected Chicago for its 1968 national convention, and the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (MOBE), chaired by David Dellinger, proposed anti-war demonstrations to protest the expected renomination of President Lyndon Johnson for the 1968 presidential election. In early 1968, the Tet Offensive against American forces in Vietnam occurred, as well as unprecedented protests on university campuses, and MOBE opened a Chicago office directed by Rennie Davis and Tom Hayden, who were former leaders of Students for a Democratic Society.

Who were the defendants in the Chicago Seven?

The other two defendants, John Froines and Lee Weiner, were charged with teaching demonstrators how to construct incendiary devices that would be used in civil disturbances. According to Bruce Ragsdale, writing in "The Chicago Seven: 1960s Radicalism in the Federal Courts" in 2008:

What groups protested the war in Vietnam?

A variety of groups convened in Chicago to protest during the convention week, including the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (MOBE) and the Yippies. The Black Panther Party and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference also sent representatives to protest racism.

Who was the attorney for the Black Panthers?

Seale originally retained the Black Panthers’ lawyer Charles Garry as his attorney, and Garry appeared at the defendants’ arraignment on April 9. Shortly before the trial began, Seale and other members of the Black Panther party were indicted in Connecticut on charges of conspiracy to murder a suspected police informant; because of this indictment, Seale was the only Chicago Eight defendant held in jail during the trial. When the trial started in September, Garry was recovering from surgery and could not travel, but Judge Hoffman refused to delay the start of the trial. The judge also refused to allow Seale to represent himself, in part because Kunstler had signed an appearance for Seale on September 24 to be able to visit him in jail, so Kunstler's request to withdraw as Seale's attorney was an "absolutely discretionary" decision by the judge, and Judge Hoffman decided Seale was represented by Kunstler.

How did Kunstler die?

In late 1995, Kunstler died in New York City of heart failure at the age of 76. In his last major public appearance, at the commencement ceremonies for the University at Buffalo 's School of Architecture and Planning, Kunstler lambasted the death penalty, saying, "We have become the charnel house of the Western world with reference to executions; the next closest to us is the Republic of South Africa ." Ron Kuby, in his eulogy of Kunstler, said "While defending the Chicago Seven, [Kunstler] put the war in Vietnam on trial, asking Judy Collins to sing " Where Have All The Flowers Gone? " from the witness stand, placing a Viet Cong flag on the defense table, and wearing a black armband to commemorate the war dead."

Where was the poet Kunstler born?

Kunstler was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Frances Mandelbaum and Monroe Bradford Kunstler, a physician. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School. He was educated at Yale College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1941, and Columbia University Law School from which he graduated in 1948. While in school, Kunstler was an avid poet and represented Yale in the Glascock Prize competition at Mount Holyoke College .

Who was William Kunstler?

Children. 4, including Emily. William Moses Kunstler (July 7, 1919 – September 4, 1995) was an American lawyer and civil rights activist, known for defending the Chicago Seven. Kunstler was an active member of the National Lawyers Guild, a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the co-founder of the Law Center ...

When did the American Indian Movement start?

American Indian Movement (1973–1976) Kunstler arrived in Pine Ridge, South Dakota on March 4, 1973 to draw up the demands of the American Indian Movement (AIM) members involved in the Wounded Knee incident.

Who was the defense witness in the Attica Prison riot?

In 1974–1975, Kunstler defended a prisoner charged with killing a guard during the Attica Prison riot. Under cross-examination, Kunstler forced Correction Officer Donald Melven to retract his sworn identification of John Hill, Kunstler's client, and Charles Pernasilice (defended by Richard Miller), admitting he still retained "slight" doubts that he confessed to investigators at the time of the incident. Kunstler focused on pointing out that all the other prosecution witnesses were testifying under reduced-sentencing agreements and called five prison inmates as defense witnesses (Miller called none), who testified that other prisoners hit the guard.

Who was the blind sheik in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing?

At the time of Kunstler's death, he was defending Omar Abdel-Rahman ("the Blind Sheik") for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. From 1983 until Kunstler's death in 1995, Ron Kuby was his partner.

Where have all the flowers gone Judy Collins?

While defending the Chicago Seven, he put the war in Vietnam on trial – asking Judy Collins to sing " Where Have All The Flowers Gone " from the witness stand, placing a Viet Cong flag on the defence table, and wearing a black armband to commemorate the war dead.

What is the Chicago 7?

The Chicago 7: A timeline of the protests, the clashes, the trial and the fallout » . Schultz also took issue with the film’s climactic scene, when he is portrayed rising to his feet while defendant Tom Hayden reads the names of U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam as the group is being sentenced. “That never happened.

Who played Schultz in the movie?

Schultz, who is portrayed in the film by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, says he enjoyed some aspects of Sorkin’s Hollywood take, but that it ultimately “didn’t touch on what really happened.”. “Everything was so exaggerated, you would think the judge was conducting a trial in the Soviet Union,” he said.

Who is Jason Meisner?

In 2018, he was part of the Tribune's award-winning team covering the historic murder trial of Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke.

Who is the actor in the trial of the Chicago 7?

Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 revisits one of the most notorious American trials of the 20th Century, as retold by The Social Network and The West Wing’s Aaron Sorkin. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast, we said “Aaron Sorkin has produced a thoughtful meditation on a truly nightmarish event, a Kafka-esque distortion ...

Where does Lee Weiner live?

His autobiography, Conspiracy to Riot: The Life and Times of One of the Chicago 7, was published in August 2020. Weiner, 81, lives in Florida.

Who played Jerry Rubin in the movie?

Jerry Rubin (played by Jeremy Strong) After leaving political activism, Rubin became a multimillionaire businessman and even invested in Apple Computer in its early days. Rubin and Hoffman debated each other on a tour touted as “Yippie versus Yuppie,” with Rubin advocating for wealth creation and social consciousness in business.

When did Judge Hoffman die?

Judge Hoffman continued presiding over cases until his death at age 87 in 1983, despite a poor reputation among a majority of Chicago attorneys according to the book The Benchwarmers.

Who played David Dellinger in the movie?

David Dellinger (played by John Carroll Lynch) Dellinger continued to be a political activist and dedicated pacifist, joining protests including a sit-in at the 1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago where he was arrested along with Abbie Hoffman’s son Andrew. He died at age 88 in May 2004 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Who is Tom Hayden?

Tom Hayden (played by Eddie Redmayne) Hayden founded the Indochina Peace Campaign, which aimed, in part, to gain amnesty for those who evaded the Vietnam War draft. A Democrat politician and prolific author, Hayden served in the California State Assembly from 1982 to 1992 and the State Senate from 1992 to 2000.

Who was the lawyer who defended the Chicago 7?

The radical lawyer and activist died in 1995 at age 76. Following his defense of the Chicago 7, Kunstler defended members of the American Indian Movement who took part in the Wounded Knee Occupation, an inmate who was charged with killing a guard during the Attica prison riot, the Black Liberation Army’s Assata Shakur, “the Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, and even organized crime figures like mob boss John Gotti. Kunstler also portrayed singer Jim Morrison’s defense attorney in Oliver Stone’s 1991 film The Doors.

How long was the trial of the convicted murderer?

The trial lasted nearly five months, from September 1969 to February 1970. Their sentencing, which was later reversed on appeal, took place on February 20, 1970.

Where was the Democratic Convention in 1968?

1968 Democratic Convention Location, Chicago's International Amphitheater. During the trial, the defendants continually disrupted the courtroom and made a mockery of the court and the law. At the same time, the judge exhibited bias rather than remaining impartial.

Who played Tom Hayden in the movie?

In the movie's climactic moment at the end of the trial, Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne ) stands and defies the judge's instruction and begins reading the 4,752 names of soldiers killed in Vietnam. It's a defining moment in the film, but according to court transcripts, Hayden didn't do this in real life.

Is the Chicago 7 trial true?

Yes. The true story behind The Trial of the Chicago 7 confirms that the standoff indeed happened in real life. The protesters were met by an armed battalion of police officers outside the station. Like in the film, activist Tom Hayden was released on bail.

Who is Tom Hayden married to?

Tom Hayden embarked on a career in politics and married celebrity Jane Fonda. In addition to the Aaron Sorkin film, other movies and documentaries have been made about the men, including the 2007 Sundance favorite Chicago 10. Activist Tom Hayden with fellow activist and wife Jane Fonda.

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Overview

Trial

The original eight defendants were Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale. The defense attorneys were William Kunstler, Leonard Weinglass of the Center for Constitutional Rights, as well as Michael Kennedy, Michael Tigar, Charles Garry, Gerald Lefcourt, and Dennis Roberts. The presiding judge was Julius Hoffman, and the prosecutors were Richard Schultz and Tom Foran.

Background

In the fall of 1967, the Democratic Party selected Chicago for its 1968 national convention, and the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (MOBE), chaired by David Dellinger, proposed anti-war demonstrations to protest the expected renomination of President Lyndon Johnson for the 1968 presidential election. In early 1968, the Tet Offensiveagainst American forces in Vietnam occurred, as well as unprecedented protests on university campuses, and MOBE ope…

Grand jury and indictment

On September 9, 1968, three days after the release of the Daley administration report on the violence at the Chicago convention, Chief Judge William J. Campbell of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois convened a grand jury to investigate whether the organizers of the demonstrations had violated federal law and whether any police officers had interfered with the civil rights of the protestors.

Charges

The charges were the first prosecutions under the anti-riot provisions of Title X of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 which made it a federal crime to cross state lines with the intent to incite a riot, or to conspire to do so.
All of the defendants were charged with conspiring to use interstate commerce with intent to incite a riot. David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Bobby Se…

Contempt citations

During the proceedings, all of the defendants and nearly all of their attorneys were cited for contempt of court by Judge Hoffman.
Attorneys Michael Kennedy, Dennis Roberts, Michael Tigar, and Gerald Lefcourtassisted the defense with pretrial motions. Before the trial began, Judge Hoffman held them all in contempt after they attempted to withdraw from the case, issued bench warrants for their arrest, and had …

Verdict

On February 18, 1970, the jury acquitted all seven defendants of conspiracy and acquitted Froines and Weiner on all charges. The jury found Davis, Dellinger, Hayden, Hoffman, and Rubin guilty of traveling between states with the intent to incite a riot.
In a separate proceeding, a jury acquitted seven of the eight indicted police officers, and the case against the eighth was dropped.

Sentencing

On February 20, 1970, in the sentencing phase of the trial, the defendants made statements, including David Dellinger, whose statement included:
[W]hatever happens to us, however unjustified, will be slight compared to what has happened already to the Vietnamese people, to the black people in this country, to the criminals with whom we are now spending our days in the Cook County jail. I must have already lived longer than the …

Overview

William Moses Kunstler (July 7, 1919 – September 4, 1995) was an American lawyer and civil rights activist, known for defending the Chicago Seven. Kunstler was an active member of the National Lawyers Guild, a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the co-founder of the Law Center for Constitutional Rights(CCR), the "leading gathering place for radical lawyers in t…

Civil rights career

Kunstler first made headlines in 1957 when he defended William Worthy, a correspondent for the Baltimore Afro-American, who was one of forty-two Americans who had their passports seized after violating the State Department's travel ban on Communist China(after attending a Communist youth conference in Moscow). Kunstler refused a State Department compromise which would have returned Worthy's passport if he agreed to cease visiting Communist countries, a conditio…

Early life

Kunstler was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Frances Mandelbaum and Monroe Bradford Kunstler, a physician. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School. After high school, he attended Yale University, where he majored in French and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1941. He then went on to attend Columbia Law School from which he graduated in 1948. While at Yale, Kunstler was an avid poet and represented Yale in the Glascock Prize competition at Mount Holyo…

Representation of mobsters

Kunstler represented a number of convicted mafiosi during his career, claiming "they were victims of government persecution" and "I never made a nickel on an OC [organized crime] case." The more notorious of Kunstler's mobster clients included Joe Bonanno, Raymond L.S. Patriarca, Nicholas L. Bianco, John Gotti, and Louis Ferrante, who claimed in his memoir, Unlocked: the Life and Crimes of a Mafia Insider, that "he [Kunstler] took a hundred grand off me."

Other work

In 1979, Kunstler represented Marvin Barnes, an ABA and NBA basketball player, with past legal troubles and league discipline problems.
In 1989–1990, Kunstler twice argued successfully in defense of flag burning, before the Supreme Court. In Texas v. Johnson and United States v. Eichman, the Court held the act to be protected speech under the First Amendment, striking down Texas state and Federal statutes on "flag dese…

Death and legacy

In late 1995, Kunstler died in New York City of heart failure at the age of 76. In his last major public appearance, at the commencement ceremonies for the University at Buffalo's School of Architecture and Planning, Kunstler lambasted the death penalty, saying, "We have become the charnel house of the Western world with reference to executions; the next closest to us is the Republic of South Africa." Ron Kuby, in his eulogy of Kunstler, said "While defending the Chicago …

Publications

• Our Pleasant Vices (1941)
• The Law of Accidents (1954)
• First Degree (1960)
• Beyond a Reasonable Doubt? The Original Trial of Caryl Chessman (1961)

Pop culture references

• Kunstler was listed as Sister Mary Stigmata's attorney in Blues Brothers: Private in 1980.
• Robert Loggia portrayed Kunstler in the 1987 film Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8.
• Kunstler appeared as a lawyer for Jim Morrison in The Doors in 1991.