Angela Davis Acquitted

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Angela Davis

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On June 4, 1972, Angela Davis, a Black communist activist and former UCLA philosophy professor, was acquitted of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy charges stemming from her alleged connection to a deadly courthouse shooting in Marin County, California, nearly two years earlier. On August 7, 1970, 17-year-old Jonathan Jackson had entered a Marin County courtroom armed with weapons registered to Davis and took hostages, including a judge, in an attempt to free his brother George Jackson and other members of the Soledad Brothers. In the ensuing shootout, Jonathan Jackson, Judge Harold Haley, and two prisoners were killed. Davis, who had been romantically involved with George Jackson, was charged as a conspirator. Davis fled California after the incident and was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on August 18, 1970, becoming only the third woman ever to appear on the list. She was captured in New York two months later. Denied bail, Davis spent 16 months in jail awaiting trial, during which time an international "Free Angela Davis" campaign emerged, turning her into a globally recognized figure. Supporters ranged from intellectuals and artists to foreign governments, with protests demanding her release held around the world. The trial was moved to Santa Clara County, and Davis was granted bail in February 1972. On June 4, 1972, after 13 hours of deliberations over three days, an all-white jury found Davis not guilty on all charges, determining that her ownership of the guns was not sufficient to establish her involvement in the conspiracy. Davis returned to academia and activism, becoming a distinguished professor and one of the most prominent public intellectuals in America. Her case highlighted the political persecution of Black radicals during the COINTELPRO era and became a touchstone for discussions of political prisoners and the criminalization of Black activism.