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Jearl Wood Not Guilty! Delayed Stress Case

By VVAW

On August 22, 1980, Jearl Wood, a Black Vietnam vet feeling the pressures of job harassment and a genuine case of post-traumatic stress disorder, turned on his general foreman at the Ford Torrence plant south of Chicago and shot him. Nearly two years later, a twelve-person jury in a Cook County Court found Jearl Wood not guilty by reason of insanity.

The trial itself lasted from April 22nd until May 6th, 1982, not long compared to the two years of struggle, preparation and tension leading up to it. There were two years of attacks on Jearl Wood in the press, most notably the Chicago Tribune, physical attacks on home of defense committee members, arson on a lounge where a Jearl Wood fundraiser was about to be held, and the on-going family and economic pressures on Jearl himself.

The defense of Jearl Wood got off to a less-than-favorable start when his first attorney took a large portion of Jearl's time and almost all his money—and then dropped the case. Enter Peter Erlinder and his partner David Thomas as new defense counsel, who wisely restructured Jearl Wood's case on the foundation of post- traumatic stress disorder. A defense committee made up of Jearl's fellow workers from the Ford plant, a spectrum of political groups, clergymen, union officials and VVAW closely coordinated with the attorneys and began a campaign to reverse public opinion and show support for Jearl's case. Fundraisers were held to begin paying for the incredible expenses for Jearl's defense.

The final delay before the trail came as the State asked for more time for preparation, finally realizing they had a battle on their hands. The result of the delay brought additional charges against Wood.

After two days of jury selection, the trial began with the defense bringing a long line of witnesses to establish Jearl's case. Noted authorities on port-traumatic stress disorder, Psychologists John Wilson of Ohio, and Charles Figley of Purdue, both experts in their field, gave clear-cut explanations of ptsd, its origins and its application to Jearl's case which tied in well with doctors who had most recently been treating Jearl Wood. Other defense witnesses included friends, family members, fellow employees, and significant testimony from Vietnam vets who had served with Jearl in his unit or similar units during the same period in Vietnam.

The prosecution responded with attempts to smear the reputation of Jearl's friends and family members, and attempts to show Jearl wood as a hideous criminal (his record of no previous arrests or convictions on any count notwithstanding). In what was probably their biggest blunder, the state completely blew their case by attacking post-traumatic stress disorder as some "egghead theory dreamed up by college professors" instead of the real problem that it is among 'Nam vets—even to the point where the Veterans Administration and the American Psychiatric Association recognize ptsd as a real disease. Vietnam vets in the audience and on the jury were amazed at the apparent lack of comprehension by the prosecutors as they referred to this "Vietnamese syndrome" and these "Vietnamese veterans" showing complete insensitivity to the real issue of the trial. In the end, it was their undoing.

In what was perhaps the most disgusting moment of the State's presentation, prosecutors called Dr Gil Bogen, noted "veterans' advocate" and founder of Vet-Line/Hot Line" and Veterans for Reagan. Bogen pronounced Jearl Wood free from any problems with ptsd, based on 30 minutes of conversation with Wood and a review of the police record in the case; this record was later shown to be completely inaccurate and erroneous. Bogen, the self-styled vets' savior, got his little boat blown out of the water by real experts in the field and an intelligent jury who saw the significance of ptsd. The sneering and general ugliness showed by the prosecutors, their attacks bordering on racism, their continual reminder that "Vietnam is not on trial here," while Vietnam vet after Vietnam vet took the stand, ultimately ended their case.

On May 5, 1982, after two earlier splits, the jury returned and gave their verdict: "Not guilty by reason of insanity." There were tears in the eyes of Jearl Wood, his family, his supporters and the defense attorneys. The head prosecutor stomped out of the courtroom, snarling with rage, a performance which led one observer to comment, "that guy—a real scumbag to the end."

The trial can clearly be seen as a precedent-setting verdict for many Vietnam vets across the country and an important step toward solving some of the problems of ptsd. The fight that Jearl Wood must carry on remains. While he will not be incarcerated, Jearl, like many of us, must find some resolution to his problems. Similarly, the financial problems he now faces with defense costs must also be overcome.

VVAW is proud to have participated in Jearl's defense and would not hesitate to do it again in a similar case. We remain committed to helping Jearl and his family. We ask that others do the same by sending what contributions they can to the Jearl Wood Defense Committee, 15803 Paulina St, Harvey IL 60426.