Rubin “Hurricane” Carter

On June 17, 1966, at approximately 2:30 a.m two black males entered the Lafayette Bar
and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey, and started shooting. The bartender, Jim Oliver, and a
male customer, Fred Nauyoks, were killed instantly. A badly wounded female customer,
Hazel Tanis, died almost a month later, having been shot in the throat, stomach, intestine,
spleen and left lung, and her arm shattered by shotgun pellets. The third customer, Willie
Marins, survived the attack, despite being shot in the head and losing sight in one eye.
Both Marins and Tanis told police that the shooters had been two black males, although
neither identified Carter or his companion in the car John Artis, or anyone else, as the
shooters.
There are eight very Crucial people involved with this case and they are as follows:
Jim Oliver: a bartender of the Lafayette and also a victim
Fred Nauyoks: A customer at the Lafayette, also a tragic victim
Hazel Tanis: Was a badly wounded victim but still able to be a witness
Willie Marvis: survivor despite being shot in the head and losing sight in one eye
Alfred Bello: Crime mobster and petty thief, witness to the murder
Patricia Graham/Valentine: She lived in the apartments above the Lafayette, she is a
witness to the murders
John Artis: Rubin Carter’s friend and so harshly tagged “accomplice”
Rubin was wrongly committed of a crime he did not commit based on the live weapon
and round that were found in his vehicle along with a description of a vehicle by Patricia
Valentine, the description matched Rubin Carter’s car. Both Rubin and Artis were offered
a polygraph test by a man named Mr.Humphreys, he offered them a positive polygraph
for their freedom, but if it came out negative the consequences for the crime committed
will be dire, they both Refused this test.
Carter was then given another chance, another court appeal was appointed and the
outcome of this one was different from the rest. In 1985 The judge (Haddon Lee Sarokin)
of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey had obviously realized
the era in which he trials were held and insisted that Rubin had received and unfair trial,
saying “His trial was based on racism rather than reason, concealment, and disclosure.”
Judge Haddon was flabbergasted to find that Bello had failed the polygraph tests in the
previous court assemblies, yet after appealing to supreme court Rubin Carter’s access
was denied. A few years later (1988) Rubin’s attorney argued "It is just not legally
feasible to sustain a prosecution, and not practical after almost 22 years to be trying
anyone," said NJ Attorney General W. Cary Edwards. It was also unsure that Bello would
still be a reliable witness in any future trials. Upon this discovery all charges were
dropped, and Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was set free after 22 years of imprisonment.
The major 2 breeches of justice would have to be 15. (1) Every individual is equal
before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the
law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race,
national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
Affirmative action programs (2) Subsection (1) does not preclude any law, program or
activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals
or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic
origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability. This is obvious because
of the time and era of Carter’s previous trials, even though the Canadian Bill of rights
was enacted in 1960 it is apparent that its effects didn’t really take place till people
understood the importance of equality.
Personally I was appalled that someone could show such disrespect to another race to put
them away for a majority of their lifetime for a crime they had not committed and it has
taught me that the law can be corrupt even in its highest power. If Rubin was not released
(even though it was long over due) personally I believe I would try to reach him and help
him with his situation (considering the fact that he was a famous boxer brought down by
injustice).