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Lawton-Gardner Trial: People's Lawyer?

By VVAW

The third trial of Gary Lawton and Zurebu Gardner will begin in March in Riverside, California. Gary and Zurebu are falsely accused of murdering two policemen in April of 1971. Their first two trials ended in hung juries. This trial marks the first time in the history of the state of California that the state will prosecute for the third time. This blatantly racist attack on Lawton and Gardner, two black men, demands the attention of all Americans who are concerned with justice in this country.

As the trial approaches Gary still has no lawyer. What should be one of the most politically important trials in this country has been cast aside by 'movement' lawyers as a case that does not meet their 'political' standards. Many lawyers have been contacted, but only Zurebu was able to get one.

In that Gary has no lawyer is irresponsible on the part of the 'people's lawyers'. This is not just isolated to this case. As was reported in WINTER SOLDIER in September, 14 black inmates at the Raiford Prison in Starke, Florida were going on trial being charged with arson, assault and riot. The trial was to begin in mid-January and just two weeks prior to the start of the trial, five of the defendants found themselves without counsel as their 'progressive' lawyer backed out of the case. Luckily for the five, a real people's lawyer took up the case.

This is being written because there are more instances than just these two. In a repressive society, we understand that some lawyers may be overworked, but so are the people on the Lawton/Gardner defense committee. During the first trial, defense committee members had to work two and three jobs in addition to working for the defendants in order to pay the $1,250 plus expenses a month for the lawyer. A public defender took the second trial because no lawyer would take the case. A nationally known lawyer was contacted for the third trial but it took him three months to refuse, citing the 65 mile drive to get to Riverside. Another 'progressive' lawyer asked for a 'people's fee' of $75,000 to take the case!

We invite all lawyers to study the facts of this case, to understand the importance it holds in this most repressive society, and to look at their 'movement' work to see if they can help. The pay won't be that great and the conditions might not be the best, but Gary is; and the defense committee has done it twice before and is getting ready for its third time. 'People's lawyers' must take people's cases.

All lawyers interested, and all people willing to defray the costs of the third trial, please contact the Riverside Political Prisoners Defense Committee, PO Box 5154, San Bernardino, California 92405. AND HURRY!!

FREE LAWTON AND GARDNER