Raymond A. Brown
Encyclopedia
Raymond A. Brown was an American
criminal defense lawyer
who represented a wide variety of high-profile clients, ranging from politicians to accused spies, including New Jersey
state senator Angelo Errichetti
(convicted in the Abscam
case), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter
and "Dr. X" physician Mario Jascalevich
.
and moved as a child to Jersey City, New Jersey
. He attended the historically black college Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and earned his law degree at Fordham University School of Law
, while working as a longshoreman to cover the costs of tuition. He went into solo practice during a time when few large firms would hire African American
attorneys. While serving in the United States Army
, he saw how poorly African American soldiers were treated.
and was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. He defended students who had been arrested for taking part in building takeovers during the Columbia University protests of 1968
, including his own son.
He was able to get an acquittal for LeRoi Jones (now known as Amiri Baraka
), who had been arrested for carrying a concealed weapon during the 1967 Newark riots
. Brown worked with National Guard troops during the 1967 riots to help quell the violence and was later appointed by Governor of New Jersey
Richard J. Hughes
as vice chair of a commission that investigated the causes, response and possible solutions to the rioting.
He represented three members of the Black Panther Party
who had been charged with a 1968 machine gunning of a police station in Jersey City, New Jersey
. In the case, Brown would subpoena reporters from The New York Times
who would testify about their reporting on the case. Brown would also represent H. Rap Brown
, a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
and Black Panther Party.
Brown represented Black Liberation Army
member Assata Shakur
, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in the 1973 shooting of a New Jersey State Police
trooper on the New Jersey Turnpike
. Chesimard later escaped from prison and has since been in exile in Cuba
.
Brown represented boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter on charges that he and John Artis killed three people in 1966 in Paterson, New Jersey
. Carter was convicted in his first trial, but the conviction was overturned in 1975. Brown participated as a witness in Carter's second trial, which again resulted in conviction that was also overturned, with Carter freed after spending almost two decades in prison.
In the late-1970s "Dr. X" case, Brown successfully defended Dr. Mario Jascalevich
, who had been charged with the curare
-related deaths of five patients at Riverdell Hospital
in Oradell, New Jersey
. Brown blamed other doctors at the hospital of framing Jascalevich to cover up their own ineptitude and charged that reporter M. A. Farber
of The New York Times
had conspired with prosecutors to advance their respective careers by pointing the finger of blame at Jascalevich. After Brown subpoenaed thousands of pages of the reporter's notes from The Times, Farber was held in jail for 40 days on contempt charges by Judge Theodore Trautwein
and The Times was fined almost $300,000 for its efforts to protect its sources. In November 1978, the Supreme Court of the United States
refused to take the case, citing the fact that neither the United States Constitution
or existing state shield laws provide an absolute privilege to refuse to provide information demanded in a criminal case by a defendant.
In the 1980s, Brown represented Camden, New Jersey
mayor and State Senator
Angelo Errichetti who was convicted for his role in the Abscam sting, in which U.S. law enforcement officials pretended to be representing wealthy Arab sheiks.
, Brown died at age 94 on October 9, 2009, at Saint Barnabas Medical Center
because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
. He was survived by his second wife, the former Jennie Davis, as well as by two children from his first marriage, two stepchildren and seven grandchildren. His first marriage ended with the death of his wife, the former Elaine Camilla Williams.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
criminal defense lawyer
Criminal defense lawyer
A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal conduct. Criminal defense lawyers can be permanently employed by the various jurisdictions with criminal courts. Such lawyers are often called public defenders. For a much more...
who represented a wide variety of high-profile clients, ranging from politicians to accused spies, including New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
state senator Angelo Errichetti
Angelo Errichetti
Angelo Joseph Errichetti is an American Democratic Party politician who served as Mayor of Camden, New Jersey, and in the New Jersey State Senate before being indicted during Abscam.-Biography:...
(convicted in the Abscam
Abscam
Abscam was a United States Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation run from the FBI's Hauppauge, Long Island, office in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
case), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter
Rubin Carter
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter fought professionally as a middleweight boxer from 1961 to 1966. In 1966, he was arrested for a triple homicide in the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey...
and "Dr. X" physician Mario Jascalevich
Mario Jascalevich
The "Dr. X" killings were a series of suspicious deaths, by curare poisoning, in 1966 at a Bergen County, New Jersey hospital. A newspaper investigation during the mid-1960s led to the indictment of an Argentina-born physician, Mario Enrique Jascalevich , in 1976...
.
Early life and education
Brown was born in Fernandina Beach, FloridaFernandina Beach, Florida
Fernandina Beach is a city in Nassau County in the state of Florida in the United States of America and on Amelia Island. It is a part of Greater Jacksonville and is among Florida's northernmost cities. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe...
and moved as a child to Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. He attended the historically black college Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and earned his law degree at Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law is a part of Fordham University in the United States. The School is located in the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city.-Overview:According to the U.S. News & World Report, 1,516 J.D. students attend...
, while working as a longshoreman to cover the costs of tuition. He went into solo practice during a time when few large firms would hire African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
attorneys. While serving in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, he saw how poorly African American soldiers were treated.
Legal career
During the 1960s, he worked on defending African Americans arrested during the civil rights era. In a 1964 case, Brown represented electrical engineer John W. Butenko, who was charged with passing defense secrets to the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. He defended students who had been arrested for taking part in building takeovers during the Columbia University protests of 1968
Columbia University protests of 1968
The Columbia University protests of 1968 were among the many student demonstrations that occurred around the world in that year. The Columbia protests erupted over the spring of that year after students discovered links between the university and the institutional apparatus supporting the United...
, including his own son.
He was able to get an acquittal for LeRoi Jones (now known as Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka , formerly known as LeRoi Jones, is an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism...
), who had been arrested for carrying a concealed weapon during the 1967 Newark riots
1967 Newark riots
The 1967 Newark riots were a major civil disturbance that occurred in the city of Newark, New Jersey between July 12 and July 17, 1967. The six days of rioting, looting, and destruction left 26 dead and hundreds injured.-Social unrest:...
. Brown worked with National Guard troops during the 1967 riots to help quell the violence and was later appointed by Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Richard J. Hughes
Richard J. Hughes
Richard Joseph Hughes was an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 45th Governor of New Jersey from 1962 to 1970, and as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1973–1979...
as vice chair of a commission that investigated the causes, response and possible solutions to the rioting.
He represented three members of the Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
who had been charged with a 1968 machine gunning of a police station in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. In the case, Brown would subpoena reporters from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
who would testify about their reporting on the case. Brown would also represent H. Rap Brown
H. Rap Brown
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin , also known as H. Rap Brown, was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, and during a short lived alliance between SNCC , later the Justice Minister of the Black Panther Party...
, a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ' was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. It emerged from a series of student meetings led by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 1960...
and Black Panther Party.
Brown represented Black Liberation Army
Black Liberation Army
The Black Liberation Army was an underground, black nationalist-Marxist militant organization that operated in the United States from 1970 to 1981...
member Assata Shakur
Assata Shakur
Assata Olugbala Shakur is an African-American activist and escaped convict who was a member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army...
, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in the 1973 shooting of a New Jersey State Police
New Jersey State Police
The New Jersey State Police is the state police force for the state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with state wide jurisdiction when requested by the Governor, designated by Troop Sectors.-History:...
trooper on the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
. Chesimard later escaped from prison and has since been in exile in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Brown represented boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter on charges that he and John Artis killed three people in 1966 in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
. Carter was convicted in his first trial, but the conviction was overturned in 1975. Brown participated as a witness in Carter's second trial, which again resulted in conviction that was also overturned, with Carter freed after spending almost two decades in prison.
In the late-1970s "Dr. X" case, Brown successfully defended Dr. Mario Jascalevich
Mario Jascalevich
The "Dr. X" killings were a series of suspicious deaths, by curare poisoning, in 1966 at a Bergen County, New Jersey hospital. A newspaper investigation during the mid-1960s led to the indictment of an Argentina-born physician, Mario Enrique Jascalevich , in 1976...
, who had been charged with the curare
Curare
Curare is a common name for various arrow poisons originating from South America. The three main types of curare are:* tubocurare...
-related deaths of five patients at Riverdell Hospital
Riverdell Hospital
Riverdell Hospital was an 80-bed hospital at 576 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, New Jersey in the United States. The hospital was established in 1959 and thrived for many years until it became associated with the "Dr. X" murder trial of former chief surgeon Dr. Mario Jascalevich...
in Oradell, New Jersey
Oradell, New Jersey
Oradell is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,978. The borough's territory includes a dam on the Hackensack River that forms the Oradell Reservoir...
. Brown blamed other doctors at the hospital of framing Jascalevich to cover up their own ineptitude and charged that reporter M. A. Farber
M. A. Farber
Myron A. Farber is an American newspaper reporter for The New York Times, whose investigations into the deaths of several patients at an Oradell, New Jersey hospital led to the murder trial of Dr. Mario Jascalevich, a physician at the hospital who was alleged to have used a powerful muscle...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
had conspired with prosecutors to advance their respective careers by pointing the finger of blame at Jascalevich. After Brown subpoenaed thousands of pages of the reporter's notes from The Times, Farber was held in jail for 40 days on contempt charges by Judge Theodore Trautwein
Theodore Trautwein
Theodore Walter Trautwein was an American judge from New Jersey who presided over issues related to release of reporter's notes that arose from the 1978 murder trial of "Dr...
and The Times was fined almost $300,000 for its efforts to protect its sources. In November 1978, the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
refused to take the case, citing the fact that neither the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
or existing state shield laws provide an absolute privilege to refuse to provide information demanded in a criminal case by a defendant.
In the 1980s, Brown represented Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
mayor and State Senator
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
Angelo Errichetti who was convicted for his role in the Abscam sting, in which U.S. law enforcement officials pretended to be representing wealthy Arab sheiks.
Death
A resident of Upper Montclair, New JerseyUpper Montclair, New Jersey
Upper Montclair is northern Montclair, which is usually reckoned as everything north of Watchung Avenue. Upper Montclair takes up approximately one third of Montclair, New Jersey-Education:...
, Brown died at age 94 on October 9, 2009, at Saint Barnabas Medical Center
Saint Barnabas Medical Center
Saint Barnabas Medical Center , an affiliate of the Barnabas Health , is a 597-bed non-profit major teaching hospital located in Livingston, New Jersey...
because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , also known as chronic obstructive lung disease , chronic obstructive airway disease , chronic airflow limitation and chronic obstructive respiratory disease , is the co-occurrence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases...
. He was survived by his second wife, the former Jennie Davis, as well as by two children from his first marriage, two stepchildren and seven grandchildren. His first marriage ended with the death of his wife, the former Elaine Camilla Williams.