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For the football player of the same name see Rubin Carter (football player).

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (born May 6, 1937) was an American middleweight boxer between 1961 and 1966, although he is better known for his controversial convictions and release for three June 1966 murders in Paterson, New Jersey. Rubin Carter is a former defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Denver Broncos. ... Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Clifton in Passaic County Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. ... An Orthodox stance in boxing refers to someone who boxes right-handed as opposed to a left handed fighter who is referred to as a Southpaw. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... For other meanings of these words, see boxing (disambiguation) or boxer. ... “Paterson” redirects here. ...

The question of Carter’s actual guilt or innocence remains a strongly polarizing one. However, this much is certain: either the criminal justice system released a triple murderer from punishment, or it wrongfully imprisoned an innocent man for almost 20 years.

Pre-boxing life

Carter grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, a middle son among seven children. His parents had a stable, long-lasting marriage, provided well for the family, and raised their other six children without significant problems. Only Rubin seems to have acquired a criminal record, one that resulted in his being sentenced to a juvenile reformatory for assault and robbery shortly after his 14th birthday. Carter escaped from reformatory in 1954 and joined the Army at age 17. A few months after completing infantry basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, he was sent to West Germany where he developed an interest in boxing. However, Carter was a poor soldier, and was court-martialed four times for charges ranging from insubordination to being AWOL. In May 1956, he was discharged as "unfit for military service," well short of his scheduled date of separation. He had served 21 months of his three-year term of enlistment. “Paterson” redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The United States Army is the largest, and by some standards oldest, established branch of the armed forces of the United States and is one of seven uniformed services. ... U.S. Army recruits learn about bayonet fighting skills in an infantry Basic Combat Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. ... Fort Jackson is a United States Army Basic Combat Training (BCT) base located in South Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N  - Longitude 78° 32′ W to 83... A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ... AWOL (pronounced a-wall) is an acronym for the United States and other armed forces expression Absent WithOut Leave or Absence Without Official Leave. The United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy use the term Unauthorized Absence (UA) instead. ... A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from his or her obligation to serve. ...

After his return to New Jersey, Carter was picked up by authorities and made to serve an additional ten months for escaping from the reformatory. Shortly after being released, Carter was arrested for a series of street muggings, which included assault and robbery of a middle-aged black woman. He pleaded guilty to the charges and was imprisoned in Trenton State Prison, a maximum-security prison, where he would remain for the next four years.

Boxing career

In prison Carter resumed his interest in boxing, and upon release in September 1961 turned professional. At 5 feet 8 inches, Carter was shorter than the average middleweight, but fought all of his professional career at 155-160 pounds. His shaven head, prominent mustache, unwavering stare and solid frame made him an intimidating presence in the ring. His aggressive style and punching power (resulting in many early-round knockouts) drew attention, establishing him as a crowd favorite and earning him the nickname “Hurricane.” After he had beaten a number of legitimate middleweight contenders such as Florentino Fernandez, Holley Mims, Gomeo Brennan, and George Benton, the boxing world took notice. Ring Magazine first listed him as one of its "Top 10" middleweight contenders in July, 1963. This article is about weather phenomena. ... Holley Mims was a boxer who was defeated by Rubin Carter in 1961. ... Front cover of the first issue of Ring Magazine Ring Magazine is a boxing magazine that was first published in 1922. ...

He fought six times in 1963, winning four of the fights and losing two.^[1] He remained ranked in the lower part of the top 10 until December 20, when he surprised the boxing world by flooring past and future world champion Emile Griffith twice in the first round and scoring a technical knockout. is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Emile Griffith (born February 3, 1938) is a former boxer from the U.S. Virgin Islands who won world championships in both the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. ... Abbreviation: TKO A victory in boxing, with immediate termination of the match, awarded by the referee when it appears that one fighter is too badly injured or unable to continue. ...

That win resulted in Carter's ranking as the #3 contender for Joey Giardello's world middleweight title. Carter won two more fights (one a decision over future heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis) in 1964, before meeting Giardello in Philadelphia for a 15-round championship match on December 14. Carter fought well in the early rounds, scoring with big punches, but failed to follow them up and Giardello took control of the fight in the 5th round. The judges awarded Giardello a unanimous decision, and most of the press concurred. An informal poll conducted among ringside sportswriters agreed that Giardello had outboxed the challenger. Carter was gracious in defeat and did not protest the judging.[1] Carmine Orlando Tilelli (born July 16, 1930), better known by his professional pseudonym of Joey Giardello, was an American star in the sport of boxing during the 1950s and 1960s. ... Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... For the mixed martial arts division of the same name, see Heavyweight (MMA). ... James Albert Jimmy Ellis (1940-present) was an American prizefighter who held the World Boxing Association Heavyweight title from 1968 to 1970. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

After that fight, Carter's standing as a contender—as reflected by his ranking in Ring Magazine—began to decline. He fought nine times in 1965, but lost four of five fights against top contenders (Luis Manuel Rodriguez, Englishman Harry Scott and Nigerian Dick Tiger). Tiger, in particular, had no problem with Carter, flooring him three times in their match. "It was," Carter said, "the worst beating that I took in my life—inside or outside the ring."^[2] Luis Manuel Rodriguez (b. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Harry Scott (born October 27, 1937) was a British boxer and contender in the middleweight division during the 1950s. ... Richard Dick Tiger Ihetu (August 14, 1929 - December 14, 1971) was a boxer from Amaigbo, Orlu, Nigeria, was a migrant fighter to Liverpool (and later to America). ...

Carter's career record in boxing was 27 wins, 12 losses and one draw in 40 fights, with 8 knockouts and 11 technical knockouts. He received an honorary championship title belt from the World Boxing Council in 1993, as did Joey Giardello at the same banquet held in Las Vegas. A boxer is knocked down and receives the 10-count. ... Abbreviation: TKO A victory in boxing, with immediate termination of the match, awarded by the referee when it appears that one fighter is too badly injured or unable to continue. ... WBC logo mark The World Boxing Council was initially created by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo López... Carmine Orlando Tilelli (born July 16, 1930), better known by his professional pseudonym of Joey Giardello, was an American star in the sport of boxing during the 1950s and 1960s. ... The Las Vegas metropolitan area, includes the Las Vegas Valley a 600 square mile (1600 km²) basin, and surrounding areas, that are part of Clark County in southern Nevada. ...

The murders

On June 17, 1966, at 2:28 a.m. it is alleged that two African American males entered the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey, and started shooting. The bartender, Jim Oliver, and a male customer, Fred "Cedar Grove Bob" 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. A third customer, Willie Marins, survived the attack, despite being shot in the head and losing sight in one eye. is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Petty criminal Alfred Bello, who had been near the Lafayette to commit a burglary that same night, was an eyewitness. Bello was one of the first people on the scene of the shootings and called a telephone operator to alert the police. A resident on the second floor (above the Lafayette), Patricia Graham (later Patricia Valentine), said she saw two black males get into a white car and drive away westbound. Another neighbor, Ronald Ruggiero, also heard the shots and said that when he looked from his window he saw Alfred Bello running on Lafayette Street toward 16th Street. He further reported that he heard the screech of tires and saw a white car shoot past, heading west, with two black males in the front seat. for other uses please see Crime (disambiguation) A crime is an act that violates a political or moral law. ...

Carter's car matched the description provided by the witnesses. Police stopped it and brought Carter and another occupant, John Artis, to the scene about thirty minutes after the incident. There was little physical evidence; police took no fingerprints at the crime scene, and lacked the necessary facilities to conduct a paraffin test on Carter and Artis. None of the eyewitnesses identified Carter or Artis as one of the shooters. When the police took Carter and Artis to the hospital to be viewed by Marins, he stated, "I can't tell. I don't know." However, on searching Carter's car, the police discovered a live .32 caliber pistol round and a 12-gauge shotgun shell of the same calibers used in the shootings. Carter and Artis were taken to police headquarters and questioned. gunshot residues are emitted from the firarm when the trigger is depressedcausing the projectile to leave the barrel. ... For other uses, see Shotgun (disambiguation). ...

In the afternoon, both men underwent polygraph testing. Although there are serious questions about exactly what happened during the testing, examiner John J. McGuire subsequently reported the following conclusion about Carter: "After a careful analysis of the polygraph record of this subject, it is the opinion of the examiner that this subject was attempting deception to all the pertinent questions and was involved in this crime. After the examination and confronted with the examiner's opinion the subject denied any participation in the crime." The scientific merit and reliability of polygraph tests are disputed, however, and they are generally inadmissible as evidence. Carter and Artis were released later that day. This article is about the forensic instrument. ...

First conviction and appeal

Several months later, Bello disclosed to the police that he had an accomplice during the attempted burglary, one Arthur Dexter Bradley. On further questioning, Bello and Bradley both independently identified Carter as one of the two black males they said they had seen carrying weapons outside the bar the night of the murders; Bello also identified Artis as the other. Based on this additional evidence, Carter and Artis were arrested and indicted.

Even though the defense showed that the accused didn't match the description that was given by eye witness Ronald Ruggiero on June 17, the two stuck to their testimony. This, plus evidence of the identification of Carter's car by Patricia Valentine, the ammunition found in Carter's car, and questions about the testimony given by Carter's alibi witnesses, convinced the jury that Carter and Artis were the killers. Both men were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

He maintained his innocence, and won increasing public support for a retrial or pardon. Bob Dylan co-wrote (with Jacques Levy) and performed a song, called "Hurricane" (1975), which expressed the view that Carter was innocent (Carter even appeared as himself in Dylan's 1975 movie Renaldo and Clara). Meanwhile, Carter's supporters persuaded Bello and Bradley to recant the testimony they had given at the 1967 trial, and these recantations were used as the basis for a motion for a new trial. But Judge Larner, who presided over both the original trial and the recantation hearing, ruled that the recantations "lacked the ring of truth," and denied the motion. This article is about the recording artist. ... Jacques Levy (29 July 1935 – 30 September 2004) was a Jewish American songwriter, theatre director, and clinical psychologist. ... Hurricane is a protest song by Bob Dylan about the imprisonment of Rubin Hurricane Carter. ... Renaldo and Clara is a surrealist movie, by and starring Bob Dylan. ...

However, defense attorneys made yet another motion, based on evidence that came to light during the recantation hearing process (some of which was contained on a police tape recording of an interview with Bello). Although Larner denied this motion as well (agreeing with the prosecution view that they had tried to present testimony about the interview, but were blocked by the defense), the New Jersey Supreme Court granted Carter and Artis a new trial in 1976, holding that the evidence of various deals made between the prosecution and witnesses Bello and Bradley should have been disclosed to the defense before or during the 1967 trial. The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

Despite enormous public and political pressure to drop the case, prosecutor Burrell Ives Humphreys made the decision to re-prosecute the then ten-year-old murder indictments. However, he made an offer to both Carter and Artis—a "no-risk" polygraph test. If either man would take and "pass" a polygraph test conducted by a nationally-recognized expert, Humphreys would drop the prosecution as to that man. Were he to "fail" the test, there would be no adverse consequences. Both Carter and Artis refused Humphrey's offer.

Second conviction and appeal

During the new trial, witness Alfred Bello abandoned his recantation and repeated the testimony he had given in 1967, identifying Carter and Artis as the two armed men he said he had seen at the Lafayette Grill. Judge Leopizzi instructed the jurors that if they did not believe Bello, they should acquit the defendants. The State objected and requested that the Court instruct the jury that a conviction could be based on the other evidence the State had presented, but this request was denied. Carter and Artis were once again found guilty, this time by a jury that included two African-Americans. The jury deliberated for less than nine hours. Carter and Artis were again sentenced to life in prison. Carter's defense continued to appeal on various grounds. In 1982, the Supreme Court of New Jersey acknowledged that the prosecution had withheld evidence, a so-called Brady violation, but affirmed the conviction in a 4-3 decision. Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... Brady material consists of exculpatory or impeaching information that is material to the guilt or punishment of the defendant. ...

Appeal at the federal court

Three years later, Rubin Carter's attorneys filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in federal court, a rarely successful collateral attack on the judgment of a state court requesting federal review of the constitutionality of the state court's decision. The effort paid off; in 1985, Judge Haddon Lee Sarokin of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled that Carter and Artis had not received a fair trial, saying that the prosecution had been "based on racism rather than reason and concealment rather than disclosure." He chided the State of New Jersey for having withheld evidence regarding Bello's problematic polygraph testing and related issues, and set aside the convictions. New Jersey prosecutors appealed Sarokin's ruling to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and filed a motion to return Carter to jail pending the outcome of their appeal. While denying this motion, the Court consented to review the case, eventually affirming Sarokin's opinion on one of the two grounds used to free Carter without commenting on the other. The prosecutors appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which declined to grant certiorari to the case. For other uses, see Habeas corpus (disambiguation). ... The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the state of New Jersey. ... The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States District Courts: District of Delaware District of New Jersey Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania District of the United States Virgin Islands The court is based at... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Certiorari (pronunciation: sər-sh(ē-)ə-ˈrer-ē, -ˈrär-ē, -ˈra-rē) is a legal term in Roman, English and American law referring to a type of writ seeking judicial review. ...

These rulings left the prosecutors with the choice of either trying Carter and Artis for a third time or dismissing the indictments. In 1988 New Jersey prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss the original indictments brought against Carter and Artis in 1966. "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. Acting Passaic County Prosecutor John P. Goceljak said several factors made it impossible for a retrial, including concerns about whether Bello could still be a convincing eyewitness and the unavailability of other witnesses. Golceljak also doubted whether the prosecution could reintroduce the racially motivated crime theory due to the federal court rulings. Furthermore, John Artis had already been paroled and would not have been returned to prison even had he been re-convicted. The motion to dismiss was granted, effectively dropping all charges.^[3] Parole can have different meanings depending on the context. ...

Aftermath

Carter now lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and was executive director of the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (ADWC) from 1993 until 2005. Carter publicly resigned from the ADWC when the prosecutor of Guy Paul Morin, a wrongfully convicted man, was promoted to a judgeship and the ADWC declined to support Carter's protest of the appointment. In 1996 Carter, then 60, was arrested when Toronto police mistakenly identified him as a suspect in his 30s believed to have sold drugs to an undercover officer. He was released after the police realized their error.^[4][5] Carter now works as a motivational speaker. On October 14, 2005, Rubin Carter received two honorary Doctorates of Law, one from York University (Toronto, Ontario) and one from Griffith University (Brisbane, Australia), in recognition of his work with the ADWC and the Innocence Project. He is currently in St. Johns Newfoundland and Labrador filming a documentary about wrongfully convicted people at Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St John's and across the Atlantic Provinces for CBC. This article is about the Canadian province. ... Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted or AIDWYC, is a Toronto based organization founded in 1993 that is dedicated to the prevention of wrongful convictions and the reversal of those tragic cases that have already occurred. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Guy Paul Morin is a Canadian who was wrongly convicted of the October, 1984 murder of his nine-year-old, next-door-neighbour, Christine Jessop of Queensville, Ontario. ... A motivational speaker is a professional speaker, facilitator or trainer who speaks to audiences, usually for a fee. ... is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Canadian university. ... Griffith University is an Australian public university with five campuses in Queensland between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. ... The Innocence Project refers to a number of non-profit legal clinics in the United States. ... This article is about the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary [1]; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, and their respective overseas territories and dependencies. ... Atlantic Canada consists of the four Canadian provinces on the Atlantic Ocean: Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. ... Radio-Canada redirects here. ...

Carter's saga inspired the Norman Jewison 1999 feature film The Hurricane, starring Denzel Washington in the title role. Norman Frederick Jewison, CC, BA, LL.D (born July 21, 1926) is a Canadian film director, producer, and actor. ... The year 1999 in film involved some significant events. ... The Hurricane, a 1999 film starring Denzel Washington, purports to be the true story of boxer Rubin Hurricane Carter, whose conviction for triple murder was overturned after he had spent almost 20 years in prison. ... Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. ...

John Artis, after being released on parole in 1985, was imprisoned again in 1986 when he pled guilty to dealing cocaine and to receiving a stolen handgun. He is now a social worker, helping troubled youths.

References

• Boxing Records Archive. BoxRec. Rubin Carter. Retrieved on 20 January, 2007.
• Ron Flatter. Sportscentury Biography. Hurricane found peace at storm's center. Retrieved on 20 January, 2007.
• Carole D. Bos, J.D.. Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. Retrieved on 20 January, 2007.
• National Press - Canada. The Rubin Carter Case. Retrieved on 20 January, 2007.
• Zachary Dillon. Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. Retrieved on 3 March, 2008.

External links

• Speakers Spotlight. Rubin Carter. Retrieved on 30 May, 2006.

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