Reflections of the District Attorney News Clipping

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InBozeman. Wildercase

Reflections of the Distriot Attorney
Durint tha thmc tcr6 lhrt *e torlcd on thc Borcmen

rnd tlildcr ctrer. I rncd meny timct lo mrte sme scnsc

al of alE rtcpt bcant lrlen by tha drfcndrnl; rnd thcir
Inomclr. Hrcver. I ncrcr fully undcrstod *hrt lhcir
iir:vxcr.clt unlil tcv. Joseph Lo*ery ol SCLC crme ino

mt olfrc jusl !r ,c *erc .b.)ut to 80 ioio thc courtrmm lor
the hrt probrti.'n hcrring. Rc,. Loucr; rltcd if I *ould
rcommcnd pmbrtiotr lot Meggie Eorcmtn end Jultr
r*'rldct. erd I teplicd thrt I cosld Dqt. chiclly bccrusc they

hld conrr rntly sr.tcd on lclcr irnn rnd to the ncr 3prPcrt
th.t th.r *qld mttnue to do the vcry thinS lor uhich
thcy hrd bccn coovktcd- lt *rs thcn thrt Rcv. l-o*ery rtid
to mc. "Yd do nol undcrtrnd - tbcy do nol lctlly meln
rhrt they rrt rryinS; but ro rrc lha .&my. ttrd tc musl
hevc ll cmmy."

Afrer thc probarion hcrrin3 whcn I h:d limc to rcflect on
Rcv. lowcry'r commcnl, rlmosl cvctything thaf hrd
hrppencd in this crrc fcll into phcc rs prn of thc ovcrrll
glrn of the SCLC ro rcep nrrimum publicity rnd the
lcsulring contributions of mDncy lo lhc organizrtion.
Evcry cooceivrble stcp hrd bcen trlcn by the dcfcndrnlt
rnd their rttorneys to force r confiontation and ultimrtaly
to forcc the Coun to rulc rgrinrt them.

Coniidct thc follo*ing:
(l) Aftcr our inyestitetion wrr mmplcted, tnd bclorc

lhe clses wcre presentcd to thc Grrnd Jury. Bozcmrn tnd
Wildct *crc crch givcn subpanrr to comc in rnd crplrio
thcir rctrrns, if thcy could. Julie Wilder crmc to tc:tifr.
but tol ihc fifth rmcndnrent; wbile Mr3gic Bozcmrn
rcfurcd to honor the rubpanr rt rll,

(2) Afte. thcy rerc indictcd. end bcforc ehhcr
dcfendant wes tded. rc offcrcd to scttlc both crrcr rr
misdemcenors with e suspended scntcnca (no,iril timc. no
loss of voting rights, ctc.) This ofter wrs rcfused,
*hcrcupon Julir Wilder wr! tricd, convictcd, rnd
tentenccd lo five years, the length oftimc bcinSdctcrmin?d
by the jury rs provided in thc votrnt frrud statutc.

(3) After Julir Wildcr w8s onuicted, rnd bcforc
Maggic Suzcman * rs tried, wc rgein offcrcd lo tcatlc bolh
crses rt nrisdemcenors with r suspcnded scnlcrce. Nff
lo somc it may s€cm fmlish or perhrps spincless to offer a
misdemcanor scttlement with prob.tiotr whcn you rlrerdy
hrve r felony conviction rnd mrrimum scntcncc "in thc
brg" so to rpcal. l{owcver. therc wcrc icvcrrl olhcr
fscior! lo bc considcrcd. nidc from thc conviction which

ra rlrcrdy hrd.
ln rhc first pl.ce. I tho{lhr th.l thc crrc rgirnrr Mr3gic

Bozemrn rrs subslrntirlly rerlcr lhen rhc Wildet cuc.
rnd 1et I lnew thrt Mrggia Borcmrn rlt thc mving Iccc
behind thc rholc vcting fnud tchcmc. Shc hrd urd Julir

. Wil'lcr rnd (xhcrl to do morl of the nrrlio3 of bellos rnd
forging of signrtures. During the sir moothr bttran rhc
Wildcr rnd Bo.GBrn trirlt. rhc, end lhcir fricndr hrd
bmughl cnomou5 plctsulc rtrrnsl the voter r ho htd
bccn wilncsscr, rnd rcrc to bc crllcd r3rin. ln shon. I
?at not rt rll ccnrin thrt ?c could obttin r conr rctioo io
thc Bozcm.n crre. rnd to hrvc lorl it r6rld hrvc lcft ur
rith I fivc yerr :cntcncc for onc o( thc ralctr r hilc tic
rcrl o:lrnitcr Bot asry rcort.lrcc, lB ra, crcot. thc

Contlnurd.n prt. t

A.N trI Wffi TiT AKAM^d\r{flUAT}J

rott'uE rrl - lruirBEt HGHI rlrulsDAY. FEEnUAIT lt. l9C,



Reflections
Contlnlcd lrort PrSo I

decrsion wu mrdc for mc *hcn the offcr wer rcfured, eod
*c did. of ooussc. get r conviction irr the Eozcmu carG,
rlthough llle iury sct her s.ntcnce rt four yerrs rethcr tlut
livc.

My ofrcr to rccommcnd prcbetioa ia retura fc e
dismiss.l of rll rpperlr wrs rlso turned down, end rc bed
vinurll) no ongoing negorirtions during the leat tr!
yclrs.' (4) Aftcr the United Strres Suprcnc Coua dcnied the
rppcals, pctirions lor probation were filed. rnd r heedo3
wes schcduled for early Deccmbet. 1931. As sooa u thc
herring was sct, wc began to sce ncuspaper rrticlei rnd
TV inrcrviews quoting Eozeman end Wildcr rs seying thcT
were going to Lecp nght on "doing s.hat they hed bcco
doing." At rhis first hearing, when their snorneyr esld
that we rccommcnd probrtion. I told them csscntielly thc
semc thing I was laicr to sry to Rev, lowery --- thtt we
muld not rccommend it in vicw of rheir publishcd
strrcments. No prosccutor in thc country. statc or fcderd,
is going to rccommcnd probatron when thc criminet tcep
saying hc is going right our end commir the s.mc crime. t
elso told thcm th.t their publshcd end brotd-q
stetemenrs $ould. in my judgment. forcc the Court to dcay
probarion cven if we did recommcnd ir.

We did Iinally lc.ve this first hearing with whet t
thoughr u'as tn agreement. which had severrl prrts. (l)
We would not insist on rn immediate ruling oo lhc
probetion ?.quesr. (2) Thc dcfendants and their .norocyr
rould s€lcct a sulrabie couniy jail, subjca to our .pprDvd.
shcre they could be confincd. larhcr thtn setve the timc i!
thc womcns pnson. (J) Thc defendants would not ofrer eay
lcstimony rn suppon of their peririoa for probttioa. (f)
Anothcr heanng darc s.s rct for Jenuary. I!.J9E} I
which probation would be dcnied end the Court would
approvc . county jeil for confincmcnt.,

During rhe 40 deys or so berween this lirst prcbetioa
hcrring date rnd Januery ll. I received not onc lctter ot
phonc call from rhc delendanr's .trorncvs. Also. during
rhis timc our probation offiCer madc four (4) trips cach to
thc homes of Julie Wilder end Maggie Bozcmeo. rnd he
crruld not locatc either of them. Hc elso wrotc two t.ttcrs to
eech of thc defcnd.nrs tellinB rhcm rhar hc neede{
informatron from thenr lo prcpare his report to Oe Courl
--- thcrc ses no rcply. Scvcral tctephone cells to cech
defendent rcsulred in only onc convcrsetion wirh Julir
Wildcr. in which shc wes esled to comc io for ra
intcili€s; end she did not. Oo onc occasion rt Julia
Wildcr's home. Rev. Cononrcidcr of the SCLC <onfronicd
the probarion offrcer rnd rcfuscd to let him telt with
her.

lr is thc probrtion ofricers job to prep.rc . rcpora for thc
Coun to use io dcciding whethd to grrnt probetioa;
cv€ryone rnvolved with thc clsc Lncw thet. including tlrc
delcndant's artorneyi. This rcpon c:n contrin mray
things such es dclcndent's ege end hcrlth. prcrbut
c.onrrcrions. job srarus, incomc, namca of neighbotr.
fricnds, cmplovcrs. ctc.. yho would commcnt oE
&fendent'r chrncler, tnd probrbilit,v of othcr futurc
oflenres. This lnformttion ir vital ro e dcfcndrnt rlrr
crpccti to be succcssful in rcclin3 probrtion. And yct rc
hrve hcrt the prepostcrous slrurrion of dcfendrot'r
r:lusanS to cven rrll wtrh thc onc individurl who it goin3
to matc I reporr rnd rccommcndrtron to.the Coun; or
bein3 prevcnted lrom rtlling by rhcir rttorneyr tnd thc

'SCLC offi$elr. k rrs rs if the de(cndrat'r tttorncyt .!d
tha SCLC hed coavencd to prurccurorr. lnd rerc *ortioj
lo preecnt drrcloturt of rny potriblc iaformrtioo rhict

To trig thi iholc thing ofi. tic defendrnts' ltiomcy3
cama into Court on Januat-v ll lnd did thc following:

t I ) Thel- told us thrt they hld becn unrble to worf oul
.anythint silh r counr.v jail. (not hrue. thc Mrcon Counw

dcrl had rlrcedlr bccn rmnged *ith rhe Shcrifi thcre).

tlt They rcferred to the prob.iion oflicer'r rrPon &3

"pitifully in.dc'quate. "
(J) They called lS uitnesscr -- moslly high officiels of

. SCLC and other ortrnlz.tront.
(Jl They rcfused to lct \laggie Boremen snd Julia

Wilder rate rhe srJnd. eren lor the stmple purpose of
esting the Judge to q:lnt probrlion.

As I said in the begrnnrng. rhc entire cpisode would be
ndrculous or evcn brzartc ri *e did not havc f,qv. Irrwery's
commcnt3 aboul enemies to consider. I lm convinccd thrt
we did crer-vthing *e possibly could havc donc. shon of
giving them thc courrhouse. to reach a settlcmcnt of thcsc

cascs rith ihe defendanls. ln thc process thcre wcte two
bletant .cts by rhe SCLC and lrlaegie Bozemen which

amounlcd to the sacrrl-rce of Julia Wrlder to pnson "' I -

Refusel to rc(cpa a mrs,lemeanor scnlence lnd probation

efter berng tried end giucn 2 ycars. end 2 ' Preventing
Julie Wildcr from givrng infonnation to the probrtion
officer. ln the firsl instance. if Julia Wildcr had settled her

casc bcforc the Bozem.n trial, she would have bcen
avrileble to tcstify against Maggte Bozeman. end Maggie
could not nst that. So in cffect Julir x'as Prcvented from
settling iler case in rn effon to save Macgie' with thc idce
rhrt her clse sould be rcverced on appeal. The later
cffons of SCLC and their officials to prevent I full
probation rcpon amounl lo norhing lcss than forcing the

Coun to rulc egainst thcm .nd send lrleggic.nd Julia to
prison. *hich.s I hayc said prcviously wes done for the
publicrty end money.

! bclicve there .rc sevcrel things which wc in Piclens
Coonry nced to bc mcntlll:/ preprtcd to lccept. Wc heve
ccnainly lost thc publicit:/ b.ttlc. .t least on a state and
n.tion.l lcvcl. Most of whet Judge Juntin. Sheriff
Colcmea. I and other officials havc seid has bccn iSnored.
rlentcdof misquotcd. when Rcv. Manin Luther King seid
thrt "no lic can live forcver." hc did not. I thinl. realizc
thrr an SCLC prcsident would someday worh so h.rd to
tall rhe n.ilon on rhe lie of e recist Piclens County.
. Borcmrn and wildet will both cventuelly be rclcased
from confinemcnl. I 3trongly Suspect that wc crn erPect
funhcr medlinS from thc Govemors Offrce. bcceuse of the
vcry crrefully sordcd st:tement of Rev. l,owerv when he

camc out of his hst mcctrn8 with Govcrnor Jemes. Rcv.
lowcry sld. "l did not esl lhc Governor to intcNenc with
thc Borrd of Perdons & Paroles. end he (thc Governor) dtd
not volunrecr to do so." lt may bc parenoid thinkinB. but I
interpret thi3 to be an'effort by the Govemor to scPar.te
himself fmm some .cuon lhtl i3 cxPeded by the Boerd of
Pardonr end Peroles. which thc Govcrnor appointt.

lt it rlso obviour that you cannol hold Magqrc Eozemtn
and Jullr wilder .nd theit crowd, accountrble for thetr
Crminal lctr wirhout bcing brended e rrcist by the SCLC

rnd other prcs3ure groups. Wc crn crpect that. shan
cicnturlly .rclerred. thcy wrll netumc lhcrr prodlnS.
htrrerrment. rnd ebu:c of Pictcnr Countv Peoplc. unlesr
thcy hrve achievcd cclebdty slrtut shich wrll be sonh
rw.riey to thc clsctherc. Onc thrn3 lt ccrt.ln. if lhey

Jrould comrnit olhct cnmtnrl rcti rn rhe future, there wlll
bc no effon on the pr3t of rhe Dlrrncr Altorncy'l Officc ro
rafllc rny crre. lt is comfontng to lnow thli ec hrYc a

Circuit Judge wrlh brclbone. rnd a Populalron. borh blrct
rnd whrte. thal it Prtrenl lnd not incltncd lowrrd nsh
narctbn, Who lnowr. meybc il rtll bc ahrt quicr ujonty
rho rhrll ov.?riorna .om. drr.

wtld rutilv ofob.rrl

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