Jury Deliberations
Clip: Episode 1 | 2m 36sVideo has Closed Captions
The jury foreman of the 1968 Huey P. Newton murder trial describes the jury’s tense deliberations.
David Harper, the black jury foreman of the 1968 Huey P. Newton murder trial, lays out in detail the facts and evidence of the killing, and describes the jury’s tense and emotional deliberations that will decide Newton’s fate.
Jury Deliberations
Clip: Episode 1 | 2m 36sVideo has Closed Captions
David Harper, the black jury foreman of the 1968 Huey P. Newton murder trial, lays out in detail the facts and evidence of the killing, and describes the jury’s tense and emotional deliberations that will decide Newton’s fate.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- I thought Judge Friedman was f His instructions were very clear to set up the scenarios based on the facts.
We eventually all agreed on a chain of events.
Now, how do you apply the law to That was not so cut and dry.
Was it malice aforethought, first-degree murder?
Was it second-degree murder?
Was it manslaughter or was it self-defense?
The same events, the same eviden and they saw the application of the law differently.
We agreed that Newton's out at night trying to buy barbecue.
He gets stopped, and then Newton got out with his law book.
He didn't get out of the car wit We agreed that he had a law book He's going to read the law to a hothead policeman.
The police officer Frey shoved Newton down, and on the way down, Newton got shot, and it was dark.
Frey couldn't see who was shooti (gunshot bangs) Well, the only person back there was the other officer.
The other officer shot Frey in the shoulder, caused him to lose the gun and then Newton gets Frey's gun and emptied the gun in Frey's ba (gunshots bang) Some people said a man has a right to defend himself.
If somebody's shooting at you and you get the gun, you shoot b So that was where some people we Some people said, no, not self-d because he didn't have to defend once he got the gun.
The fact that he emptied the gun in the guy's back was sufficient to say first-degr but if you're under that stress and all of this is happening in seconds, less than seconds, there's no telling what's happen You know, he fired the gun, shoots, and it's over, and so there was no intent because you were in the heat of the moment.
That's manslaughter.
We ended up with three positions and we couldn't get past those.
Two days, we were deadlocked.
I felt that that was going to be We're going to be a totally hung Different opinions as to the application of the law.
I went out on the patio.
I got very, very emotional inside.
(somber music) (sirens distantly wailing) I felt like I was going to throw because I thought maybe I couldn't get it done, and I wanted to finish the job.
I wanted the jury to finish the Then, after the recess, the said, "Okay, let's vote again."
They said let's vote again, and everyone agreed on a verdict and that was the end of it.
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Massive street protests outside of the courthouse where Huey P. Newton was on trial for murder. (2m 55s)
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A groundbreaking, history making jury of mostly women and minorities is selected for the trial. (2m 33s)
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The untold story behind the murder trial of Black Panthers leader Huey Newton. (30s)
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