45. GOING PUBLIC
1. Notice of No Bill, Exhibit C, People of the State of New York v. Gregory Wildridge, State of New York Supreme Court: County of Wyoming, December 19, 1975, Erie County courthouse.
2. Ibid.
3. His optimism might well have been justified. When Simonetti had told him to stand down on his cases, for example, Bell later learned from five jurors that they would have indicted if they been “given a proper chance.” See: Malcolm Bell, Affidavit, In the Matter of the Application of Hugh L. Carey, for a judicial determination as to the publication of Volumes 2 and 3 of the Final Report of Bernard S. Meyer, Index No. 15062, Filed October 25, 2013, decided April 24, 2014.
4. Edward Hershey, “Attica Trooper Indictment: Papers Never Filed,” Times Union (Albany, New York), April 23, 1974; “Did Attica Indict a Trooper?,” Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), April 24, 1974; FOIA request #110797 of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, FOIA pp. 000487–000490.
5. Malcolm Bell, The Turkey Shoot, 275.
6. Ibid., 277.
7. Ibid., 276.
8. Ibid., 281.
9. Ibid., 286
10. Bernard S. Meyer, Final Report of the Special Attica Investigation, October 27, 1975, New York State Archives, 26.
11. Charles Bradley, conversation with author, July 15, 2004.
12. Ibid.
13. Bell, The Turkey Shoot, 294
14. Robert Lenzner, “Probe of Attica Riot Takes New Turn,” Boston Globe, April 20, 1975.
15. Malcolm Bell, Preliminary Report on the Attica Investigation, 4
16. Ibid., 5.
17. Ibid., 35.
18. Malcolm Bell, Memorandum to Anthony Simonetti, Subject: “Moran ‘L.A. Times’ Radio Log dated 5/8/72,” November 15, 1974, in Bell, Preliminary Report on the Attica Investigation, 132–33.
19. Bell, Preliminary Report on the Attica Investigation, 29, 107–8.
20. Ibid., 114.
21. Ibid., 125, 12.
22. Ibid., 34.
23. Ibid.
24. Diane Dumanoski, “Attica: Covering Up for the Cops,” Boston Phoenix, May 13, 1975.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. Bell, The Turkey Shoot, 303.
28. Ibid., 308.
29. Ibid., 313.
30. Ibid., 314.
31. Myron Farber, “Chief Prosecutor on Attica Accused of Jury Cover-Up,” New York Times. April 8, 1975, Morris Gleicher Papers, Accession number UP001536, Box 7, Folder 20, Walter Reuther Library.
32. Hugh L. Carey, Governor, Press Release, State of New York, Executive Chamber, December 31, 1976, Press Releases, 1921–1948, 1954–1958, 1976–2006, New York (State), Governor, 13688-82, Box 2, Folder 394, New York State Archives, Albany, New York.
33. Lenzner, “Probe of Attica Riot Takes New Turn.”
34. Dumanoski, “Attica: Covering Up for the Cops.”
46. INVESTIGATING THE INVESTIGATION
1. As quoted in: Vincent R. Johnson, “Judge Bernard S. Meyer: first merit appointee to the New York Court of Appeals,” Albany Law Review 75, no. 2 (December 2011).
2. “N.Y. to Re-examine Attica Investigation,” Boston Globe, April 14, 1975.
3. Bernard S. Meyer, Final Report of the Special Attica Investigation, October 27, 1975, New York State Archives, 33.
4. Ibid., 29.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid., 27–28.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. The public, to this day, still cannot access all of these materials collected by Meyer. See: Heather Ann Thompson, “How Attica’s Ugly Past Is Still Protected,” Time, May 26, 2015.
10. Malcolm Bell, The Turkey Shoot, 331, 333.
11. Ibid., 335.
12. Ibid., 338.
13. Rockefeller, Deposition, Meyer Commission, August 8, 1975, 8660, FOIA request #110818, FOIA p. 000407.
14. Ibid., August 8, 1975, 8671, FOIA request #110818, FOIA p.000418.
15. Ibid., August 8, 1975, 8668, FOIA request #110818, FOIA p. 000415.
16. Ibid., August 8, 1975, 8808, FOIA request #110818, FOIA p. 000530.
17. Ibid., August 8, 1975, 8811-8812, FOIA request #110818, FOIA pp. 000533–000534.
18. Douglass, Deposition, Meyer Commission, September 4, 1974, 2933, FOIA request #110818, FOIA p. 000280.
19. Ibid., FOIA p. 000284.
20. Ibid., FOIA p. 000293.
21. Ibid., FOIA p. 000298.
22. Ibid., FOIA p. 000347.
23. George Infante, Testimony, Meyer Commission, August 25, 1975, Mineola, New York, 10, 751, FOIA request #110818 of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, FOIA p. 000369.
24. Infante, Testimony, Meyer Commission, August 25, 1975, 10, 760, FOIA request #110818, FOIA p. 000378.
25. Bell, The Turkey Shoot, 339.
26. Until 2015 when highly redacted versions of volumes 2 and 3 were also ordered released. Nick Reisman, “Schneiderman’s Office Releases Unsealed Attica Documents,” State of Politics, May 21, 2015; Hugh L. Carey, Governor, Press Release, State of New York, Executive Chamber, December 22, 1975, New York State Coalition for Criminal Justice Records, 1971–1986, Series 9: Issues File, Box 1: Attica Aftermath, 1971–1974, Folder 12, M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, State University of New York, Albany, New York.
27. Carey, Press Release, State of New York, Executive Chamber, December 22, 1975.
28. Meyer, Final Report of the Special Attica Investigation, October 27, 1975, New York State Archives, 1.
29. Ibid.
30. Ibid., 2.
31. Ibid., 5.
32. Ibid., 4.
33. Ibid.
34. Bell, The Turkey Shoot, 345.
35. Ibid., 348.
36. Meyer, Final Report of the Special Attica Investigation, October 27, 1975, New York State Archives, 6.
37. Ibid., 7.
38. Ibid.
39. Ibid., 11.
40. Arthur Liman, Letter to Governor Hugh Carey, April 15, 1975, New York State Coalition for Criminal Justice Records, 1971–1986, Series 9: Issues File, Box 1: Attica Aftermath, 1971–1974, Folder 1, M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, State University of New York, Albany, New York.
41. Ibid.
42. Ibid.
43. Ibid.
44. Ibid.
45. Robert B. McKay, Press Release, January 14, 1976, New York State Coalition for Criminal Justice Records, 1971–1986, Series 9: Issues File, Box 1: Attica Aftermath, 1971–1974, Folder 12, M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, State University of New York, Albany, New York.
46. Ibid.
47. “Let Clemency End the Attica Tragedy,” Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), April 10, 1976, New York State Coalition for Criminal Justice Records, 1971–1986, Series 9: Issues File, Box 1: Attica Aftermath, 1971–1974, Folder 12, M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, State University of New York, Albany, New York.
48. Frank “Big Black” Smith, National Director, Attica Now, Fundraising Letter, Attica Brothers Trial Office, Winter 1976, Rosenberg Collection, Box 1, Folder 6, Walter Reuther Library.
49. Gregory Wildridge Indictment, “Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree,” People of the State of New York v. Gregory Wildridge, October 10, 1975, Erie County courthouse. Class D felony. Max sentence of seven years.
50. Ibid.
51. Tom Goldstein, “Trooper Accused of Reckless Use of Shotgun in Attica Uprising,” New York Times, October 11, 1975.
52. The above all in aid of: “Motion to dismiss indictment pursuant to Sections 210.20 1 b and 210.30 of Criminal Procedure Law and for Inspection of All Grand Jury Minutes,” Omnibus Motion Pursuant to Article 255 of the Criminal Procedure Law, People of the State of New York v. Gregory Wildridge, State of New York Supreme Court: County of Wyoming, December 19, 1975, Erie County courthouse, 4–5.
53. Ibid., 6.
54. “Attica Grand Juries Vote
‘No Bill’ on 7,” New York Times, December 20, 1975, 30.
55. Notice of No Bills, Exhibit C, People of the State of New York v. Gregory Wildridge, State of New York Supreme Court: County of Wyoming, December 19, 1975, Erie County courthouse.
56. Ibid.
57. Alfred Scotti, Special Attorney General, Statement Made in Court before the Honorable Judge Frank Bayger, February 26, 1976, as quoted in: Bell, The Turkey Shoot, 365.
58. Ibid.
59. Ibid.
60. Ibid.
61. Hugh Carey, Governor, Press Release, State of New York Executive Chamber, April 22, 1976.
62. Martin J. Mack, Affirmation (affidavit), In the Matter of the Application of Hugh L. Carey, for a judicial determination as to the publication of Volumes 2 and 3 of the Final Report of Bernard S. Meyer, Index No. 15062, Filed October 25, 2013, decided April 24, 2014.
63. Statement of Alfred Scotti, Special Attorney General, Statement Made in Court before the Honorable Judge Bayger, February 26, 1976, as quoted in: Bell, The Turkey Shoot, 365.
64. Carey, Press Release, State of New York Executive Chamber, April 22, 1976.
65. Ernest Goodman, Letter to Bernard “Shango” Stroble, February 27, 1976, Ernest Goodman Papers, Accession number 1152, Box 6, Walter Reuther Library.
66. Carey, Press Release, State of New York Executive Chamber, April 22, 1976.
67. Ibid.
68. “Attica Probe by New York Comes to End,” New York Times, April 1, 1976.
47. CLOSING THE BOOK
1. New York State Coalition for Criminal Justice, Letter to Governor Hugh Carey, December 3, 1975; New York State Coalition for Criminal Justice, Letter to Governor Hugh Carey, February 13, 1976. Both in: New York State Coalition for Criminal Justice Records, 1971–1986, Series 1: Coalition Administration, 1975–1984, Box 1: Attica Clemency Legislation, M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, State University of New York, Albany, New York; Statement in: Joseph A. Labadie Collection, Special Collections Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
2. Governor Hugh Carey, Press Release, State of New York, Executive Chamber, December 21, 1976, New York State Archives.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Tom Goldstein, “Trooper and Guard Assail Carey on Clemency in Attica Revolt,” New York Times, January 1, 1977.
6. Ibid.
7. Carey, Press Release, State of New York, Executive Chamber, December 21, 1976.
8. Tom Goldstein, “New York State Still Faces Lawsuits Despite Carey’s Attica Clemency Stand,” New York Times, January 24, 1977.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Malcolm Bell, Affidavit, People of the State of New York v. John Hill, filed June 28, 1978, 41–42.
12. “Immediate Amnesty for Dacajewiah,” Flyer, New York State Coalition for Criminal Justice Records, 1971–1986, Series 1: Coalition Administration, 1975–1984, Box 1: Attica Clemency Legislation, M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, State University of New York, Albany, New York.
13. Charter Group for a Pledge of Conscience, Flyer, New York, New York State Coalition for Criminal Justice Records, 1971–1986, Series 1: Coalition Administration, 1975–1984, Box 1: Attica Clemency Legislation, M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, State University of New York, Albany, New York.
14. “Attica Figure’s Bid for Parole Denied Despite Clemency,” New York Times, January 19, 1977.
15. Ibid.
16. Malcolm Bell, The Turkey Shoot, draft, Chapter 1, 3.
PART IX · DAVID AND GOLIATH
48. IT AIN’T OVER TILL IT’S OVER
1. Mark K. Benenson, lawyer of Herman Holt, statement during testimony of Herman Holt, November 3, 1978, Hardie v. State of New York and Jones v. State of New York, 1495, FOIA request #120209 of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, FOIA p.000072.
2. “Claims Against State Mount,” New York Times, December 15, 1971.
3. Stephen Light, “The Attica Litigation,” Crime, Law, and Social Change 23, no. 3 (1995): 215–34.
4. Tom Goldstein, “New York Still Faces Lawsuits Despite Carey’s Attica Clemency Stand,” New York Times, January 24, 1977.
5. As quoted in: ibid.
6. As quoted in: ibid.
7. Light, “The Attica Litigation,” 215–34.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. “Inmates, Relatives, Win in Attica Suit,” Associated Press, News Clipping, American Radicalism Collection, Special Collections, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
11. Light, “The Attica Litigation,” 215–34.
12. Ibid.
13. Ellen Yacknin, conversation with author, Rochester, New York, October 16, 2004.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Judge John T. Elfvin, conversation with author, Buffalo, New York, August 9, 2004.
17. Judge John T. Elfvin, Memorandum and Order, Granting Plaintiffs Motion for Class Certification, October 30, 1979, Vol. I, A-191; Judge John T. Elfvin, Memorandum and Order, Revoking Class Certification, October 27, 1980, Vol. I, A-244; Judge John T. Elfvin, Memorandum and Order, Granting Plaintiff’s Motion for Recertification of Class, June 24, 1985, Vol. I, A-257, all in: Deferred Joint Appendix, Herbert Blyden et al. v. Vincent Mancusi et al., 186 F. 3d 252, Docket No. 97-2912.
18. See: John T. Elfvin, Memorandum and Order Denying Defendant Estate of Nelson A. Rockefeller Motion to Decertify the Class, Deferred Joint Appendix, Herbert Blyden et al. v. Vincent Mancusi et al., 186 F. 3d 252, Docket No. 97-2912, Vol. I, April 2, 1987, A-282.
19. Elizabeth Fink, conversation with author, Brooklyn, New York, February 23, 2014.
20. Ibid.
49. SHINING THE LIGHT ON EVIL
1. Elizabeth Fink, conversation with author, February 23, 2014.
2. Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. Vincent Mancusi et al., United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 186 F. 3d 252, Docket No. 97-2912, argued July 16, 1998, decided August 3, 1999, 5.
3. Dennis Cunningham, Michael Deutsch, and Elizabeth Fink, “Remembering Attica Forty Years Later,” Prison Legal News (September 2011).
4. In: American Radicalism Collection, Special Collections, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
5. George Jackson was the prisoner-writer who had inspired many in the prisoner rights movement and who was killed by guards at San Quentin in 1971; Geronimo Pratt was a high-ranking member of the Black Panther Party who was wrongfully convicted of a murder in 1972 and whose conviction was vacated in 1997. From American Radicalism Collection, Special Collections, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
6. In: American Radicalism Collection, Special Collections, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
7. Ibid.
8. When Oswald died in 1991, this attorney represented his estate.
9. Elizabeth M. Fink, Affirmation (affidavit), Regarding Plaintiff’s Petition for a Writ of Mandamus, Deferred Joint Appendix, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. Vincent Mancusi et al., United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 186 F. 3d 252, Docket No. 97-2912, Vol. III, November 8, 1995, in the papers of Elizabeth M. Fink, Brooklyn, New York, A-2090-2109.
10. Ibid.
11. Ellen Yacknin, conversation with author, October 16, 2004.
12. Ibid.
13. David Burke, Testimony, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. The Estate of Nelson A. Rockefeller, Russell Oswald, John Monahan, Vincent Mancusi and Karl Pfeil, United States District Court, Western District of New York, Buffalo, New York, NO. CIV-75-132, November 1, 1991, 61.
14. Ibid., 67.
15. Ibid., 70, 79.
16. Dr. David Breen, Testimony, ibid., 4033–34.
17. Ibid., 4053.
18. Ibid., 4053.
19. Ibid., 4053.
20. Ibid., 4079.
21. Ibid., 4033–34.
22. Ibid., 4053.
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid
.
25. Daniel Callahan, Testimony, Deferred Joint Appendix, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. Vincent Mancusi et al., United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 186 F. 3d 252, Docket No. 97-2912, Vol. II, November 27, 1991, in the papers of Elizabeth M. Fink, Brooklyn, New York, A-861.
26. Ibid., A-862.
27. Ibid.
28. United States Department of Justice, FBI Memorandum, Subject: “Unknown victims, Attica, Summary punishment, Civil rights,” Buffalo, New York, March 24, 1972, FOIA request #1014547-001 of the FBI, September 28, 2008.
29. Ibid.
30. Ibid.
31. Gerard Smith, Testimony, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. The Estate of Nelson A. Rockefeller et al., NO. CIV-75-132, November 14, 1991, 3920.
32. Captain William Dillon, Testimony, ibid., 6255.
33. Gerard Smith, Testimony, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. The Estate of Nelson A. Rockefeller et al., NO. CIV-75-132, November 14, 1991, 3897.
34. Ibid., 3909.
35. Ibid., 3912.
36. George Colcloughey, Testimony, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. The Estate of Nelson A. Rockefeller et al., United States District Court, Western District of New York, Buffalo, New York, NO. CIV-75-132, November 19, 1991, 4631
37. Jameel Abdul Raheem, Testimony, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. The Estate of Nelson A. Rockefeller et al., NO. CIV-75-132, November 1, 1991, 2102.
38. Ibid., 2103.
39. Ibid., 2109.
40. Ibid.
41. John Dunne, Testimony, Deferred Joint Appendix, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. Vincent Mancusi et al., 186 F. 3d 252, Docket No. 97-2912, Vol. II, December 3, 1991, A-886.
42. Ibid., A-887.
43. Ibid.
44. Michael Baden, Testimony, Deferred Joint Appendix, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. Vincent Mancusi et al., United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 186 F. 3d 252, Docket No. 97-2912, Vol. II, December 10, 1991.
45. Ibid., A-968.
46. Ibid., A-969.
47. George Infante, Testimony, Akil Al-Jundi et al. v. The Estate of Nelson A. Rockefeller et al., United States District Court, Western District of New York, Buffalo, New York, NO. CIV-75-132, December 16, 1991, E-8968.
48. Ibid., E-8989.
49. Ibid., E-8991.
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