Ron Kuby
Encyclopedia
Ronald L. Kuby is a criminal defense and civil rights
lawyer
, radio talk show
host and TV commentator. He has hosted radio programs on WABC Radio
in New York
and Air America Radio
.
under the influence of his father, a follower of Meir David Kahane. He would later defend El Sayyid Nosair
, convicted of Kahane's murder as part of his conviction for conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
In junior high school, Kuby says he was nearly expelled for publishing an underground newspaper critical of the school administration. As a teenager, he visited Israel, but soon returned to the United States complaining of "anti-Arab racism".
After dropping out of college, Kuby briefly worked on a tug boat in the U.S. Virgin Islands
, then moved to New England, and Kansas, where he eventually completed his degree at the University of Kansas
.
, a lawyer known for his defense of the Chicago Seven
. Kuby earned his Juris Doctor
from Cornell Law School
in 1983. His grades entitled him to a position on the prestigious Cornell Law Review but Kuby turned down the invitation. He graduated as one of the top students in his class.
From 1983 until Kunstler's death in 1995, Kuby worked as junior partner in Kunstler's law firm, primarily on civil rights and criminal cases. They represented Gregory Lee Johnson, a protester who burned a U.S. Flag at the 1984 Republican National Convention
; Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman
, head of the Egyptian-based militant group Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
, accused of planning and encouraging terrorist attacks against Americans; Colin Ferguson, the man responsible for the LIRR shootings (who chose to represent himself at trial); Qubilah Shabazz
, the daughter of Malcolm X
, accused of plotting to murder Louis Farrakhan
of the Nation of Islam
; Glenn Harris, a New York public school teacher who absconded with a fifteen year-old girl for two months; Darrell Cabey, a convicted felon who attempted to mug Bernard Goetz and was subsequently shot; Yu Kikumura
, a member of the Japanese Red Army
; and associates of the Gambino Crime Family
. During the Gulf War
, they represented American soldiers claiming "conscientious objector
" status. They also represented El Sayyid Nosair
, assassin of the late Rabbi
Meir Kahane
, whom Kuby's father had admired. In 2009/2010, he represented Queens based Imam Ahmed Wais Afzali in a terror-related case.
Kunstler and Kuby never formalized a partnership with a contract or tax filings. Despite a letterhead that read "Kunstler and Kuby", Kuby was paid as an employee and never shared in the firm's profits and losses. On this basis Kuby was denied ownership rights to the firm's case files, accounts, and name after Kunstler died. Kunstler's widow Margaret Ratner put her late husband's archives under lock and key. Kuby filed a complaint against her with the attorney disciplinary committee. The committee dismissed the complaint in August 1996. In December 1996 a court case brought by Ratner resulted in Kuby being denied any rights in the Kunstler firm.
., He also won nearly a million dollars for members of the Hells Angels
motorcycle club, who were wrongfully arrested by the New York City Police Department. He won the 2001 release of two men imprisoned 13 years for a murder they did not commit, winning a judgment of 3.3 million dollars for the pair. He secured a reversal of a murder conviction for a mentally ill homeless man whose candle accidentally caused the death of a firefighter. In 2005, Kuby won close to a million dollars for another wrongfully convicted man who spent eight years in prison. Kuby currently leads the Law Office of Ronald L. Kuby in Manhattan.
of the MV Maersk Alabama
-- a freighter briefly captured by Somali pirates.
Kuby said he was discussing organizing a team to defend Wal-i-Musi, suggesting he was captured when he was protected by a flag of truce.
In September 2009 Kuby appeared on behalf of Ahmad Wais Afzali
, an imam
accused of lying to authorities in a terrorism related case.
Afzali told Najibullah Zazi
that authorities were asking questions about him. Kuby mocked the charges against Zazi, asserting they were internally inconsistent. He asserted that the charge that Afzali had warned Zazi that their call was being recorded was not consistent with the charge that he had denied to authorities that he had conversed with Zazi. Kuby mocked the idea that Afzali would deny having a conversation that he knew had been taped.
) the popular Curtis and Kuby in the Morning program aired on weekdays from 5 to 10 am on WABC
-AM 770 in New York City
. After the eight-year run, WABC replaced the show with Don Imus
and retained Sliwa.
Kuby began broadcasting on Air America Radio in 2008, at first as a replacement for Randi Rhodes
, then later with a regular show, Doing Time with Ron Kuby
.
In May 2009 Air America moved Kuby's show to a new time slot, which took him off of the schedule for many affiliates. By June, Doing Time was removed from Air America's schedule.
He is also a frequent pundit and substitute anchor on Court TV
. He and Sliwa once shared a short-lived midday television program on MSNBC
.
During the week of August 16, 2010, Kuby filled in as the host of the WOR
morning show, in place of the vacationing John Gambling
. WOR is the main competitor of WABC among New York City talk radio stations.
ed by the defense to testify at the second trial of John A. Gotti, the son of Gambino crime family
leader John Gotti
, which included the charges for the kidnapping and attempted murder of Kuby's then on-air co-host Curtis Sliwa. Kuby testified that in a 1998 conversation, Gotti said he had wanted to leave organized crime. "He told me he was sick of this life", Kuby told the court. "He wanted to rejoin his family and be done with this." Sliwa reacted angrily to his longtime co-host's testimony for the defense, calling him a "Judas
", though Kuby claimed he was following the law by answering a subpoena to testify.
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, radio talk show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host and TV commentator. He has hosted radio programs on WABC Radio
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
.
Beginnings
After his parents divorced when he was five years old, Kuby lived with his mother. At thirteen, he joined the Jewish Defense LeagueJewish Defense League
The Jewish Defense League is a Jewish organization whose stated goal is to "protect Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary"...
under the influence of his father, a follower of Meir David Kahane. He would later defend El Sayyid Nosair
El Sayyid Nosair
El Sayyid Nosair is an Egyptian-born American citizen, convicted of involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing...
, convicted of Kahane's murder as part of his conviction for conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
In junior high school, Kuby says he was nearly expelled for publishing an underground newspaper critical of the school administration. As a teenager, he visited Israel, but soon returned to the United States complaining of "anti-Arab racism".
After dropping out of college, Kuby briefly worked on a tug boat in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
, then moved to New England, and Kansas, where he eventually completed his degree at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
.
Partnership with William Kunstler
While in college, Kuby interned with William KunstlerWilliam Kunstler
William Moses Kunstler was an American self-described "radical lawyer" and civil rights activist, known for his controversial clients...
, a lawyer known for his defense of the Chicago Seven
Chicago Seven
The Chicago Seven were seven defendants—Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner—charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois on the occasion of the 1968...
. Kuby earned his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School, located in Ithaca, New York, is a graduate school of Cornell University and one of the five Ivy League law schools. The school confers three law degrees...
in 1983. His grades entitled him to a position on the prestigious Cornell Law Review but Kuby turned down the invitation. He graduated as one of the top students in his class.
From 1983 until Kunstler's death in 1995, Kuby worked as junior partner in Kunstler's law firm, primarily on civil rights and criminal cases. They represented Gregory Lee Johnson, a protester who burned a U.S. Flag at the 1984 Republican National Convention
1984 Republican National Convention
The 1984 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened on August 20 to August 23, 1984, at Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas, Texas. The convention nominated the incumbent Ronald Reagan of California for President of the United States and incumbent George H. W...
; Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman
Omar Abdel-Rahman
Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman , commonly known in the United States as "The Blind Sheikh", is a blind Egyptian Muslim leader who is currently serving a life sentence at the Butner Medical Center which is part of the Butner Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, United...
, head of the Egyptian-based militant group Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya is an Egyptian Islamist movement, and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union and Egyptian governments...
, accused of planning and encouraging terrorist attacks against Americans; Colin Ferguson, the man responsible for the LIRR shootings (who chose to represent himself at trial); Qubilah Shabazz
Qubilah Shabazz
Qubilah Shabazz is the second daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. In 1995, she was arrested in connection with an alleged plot to kill Louis Farrakhan, who she believed was responsible for the assassination of her father. Shabazz maintained her innocence...
, the daughter of Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
, accused of plotting to murder Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
of the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
; Glenn Harris, a New York public school teacher who absconded with a fifteen year-old girl for two months; Darrell Cabey, a convicted felon who attempted to mug Bernard Goetz and was subsequently shot; Yu Kikumura
Yu Kikumura
was allegedly a member of the Japanese Red Army, an armed militant organization.Police arrested Kikumura in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam in 1986 when they found him carrying a bomb in his luggage...
, a member of the Japanese Red Army
Japanese Red Army
The was a Communist terrorist group founded by Fusako Shigenobu early in 1971 in Lebanon. It sometimes called itself Arab-JRA after the Lod airport massacre...
; and associates of the Gambino Crime Family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
. During the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, they represented American soldiers claiming "conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
" status. They also represented El Sayyid Nosair
El Sayyid Nosair
El Sayyid Nosair is an Egyptian-born American citizen, convicted of involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing...
, assassin of the late Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Meir Kahane
Meir Kahane
Martin David Kahane , also known as Meir Kahane , was an American-Israeli rabbi and ultra-nationalist writer and political figure. He was an ordained Orthodox rabbi and later served as a member of the Israeli Knesset...
, whom Kuby's father had admired. In 2009/2010, he represented Queens based Imam Ahmed Wais Afzali in a terror-related case.
Kunstler and Kuby never formalized a partnership with a contract or tax filings. Despite a letterhead that read "Kunstler and Kuby", Kuby was paid as an employee and never shared in the firm's profits and losses. On this basis Kuby was denied ownership rights to the firm's case files, accounts, and name after Kunstler died. Kunstler's widow Margaret Ratner put her late husband's archives under lock and key. Kuby filed a complaint against her with the attorney disciplinary committee. The committee dismissed the complaint in August 1996. In December 1996 a court case brought by Ratner resulted in Kuby being denied any rights in the Kunstler firm.
Post-Kunstler Career
After Kunstler's death, Kuby continued the work of his late mentor. In 1996, he won a judgment of forty three million dollars against Bernhard GoetzBernhard Goetz
Bernhard Goetz is an American man best known for shooting four young African American men who tried to mug him on a New York City Subway train, resulting in his conviction for illegal possession of a firearm. He came to symbolize New Yorkers’ frustrations with the high crime rates of the early...
., He also won nearly a million dollars for members of the Hells Angels
Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...
motorcycle club, who were wrongfully arrested by the New York City Police Department. He won the 2001 release of two men imprisoned 13 years for a murder they did not commit, winning a judgment of 3.3 million dollars for the pair. He secured a reversal of a murder conviction for a mentally ill homeless man whose candle accidentally caused the death of a firefighter. In 2005, Kuby won close to a million dollars for another wrongfully convicted man who spent eight years in prison. Kuby currently leads the Law Office of Ronald L. Kuby in Manhattan.
2009
In April 2009 Kuby spoke about the capture of Abduhl Wal-i-Musi, a Somali teenager apprehended during the rescue of Richard Phillips, the CaptainCaptain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
of the MV Maersk Alabama
MV Maersk Alabama
MV Maersk Alabama is a container ship owned by Maersk Line Limited and operated by Waterman Steamship Corporation....
-- a freighter briefly captured by Somali pirates.
Kuby said he was discussing organizing a team to defend Wal-i-Musi, suggesting he was captured when he was protected by a flag of truce.
In September 2009 Kuby appeared on behalf of Ahmad Wais Afzali
Ahmad Wais Afzali
Ahmad Wais Afzali is an imam from Queens, New York, who has also been an informant for the New York City Police. Afzali moved to the U.S. in 1981....
, an imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
accused of lying to authorities in a terrorism related case.
Afzali told Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi is an Afghan-American who was arrested in September 2009 as part of the 2009 U.S. Al Qaeda group accused of planning suicide bombings on the New York City subway system, and has pled guilty as have two other defendants. U.S...
that authorities were asking questions about him. Kuby mocked the charges against Zazi, asserting they were internally inconsistent. He asserted that the charge that Afzali had warned Zazi that their call was being recorded was not consistent with the charge that he had denied to authorities that he had conversed with Zazi. Kuby mocked the idea that Afzali would deny having a conversation that he knew had been taped.
Radio and television personality
From 1999 to 2007, Kuby co-hosted (with Curtis SliwaCurtis Sliwa
Curtis Sliwa is an American anti-crime activist, founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels, and radio talk show host and media personality.-Guardian Angels:...
) the popular Curtis and Kuby in the Morning program aired on weekdays from 5 to 10 am on WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
-AM 770 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. After the eight-year run, WABC replaced the show with Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
and retained Sliwa.
Kuby began broadcasting on Air America Radio in 2008, at first as a replacement for Randi Rhodes
Randi Rhodes
Randi Rhodes is an American progressive talk radio personality, formerly featured on Air America Radio and Nova M Radio and now on Premiere Radio Networks. Her eponymous program, The Randi Rhodes Show, airs live Monday through Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm Eastern Time.-Early life:Rhodes was born in...
, then later with a regular show, Doing Time with Ron Kuby
Doing Time with Ron Kuby
Doing Time with Ron Kuby was a left wing political talk show hosted by criminal defense and civil rights lawyer Ron Kuby. He is also the former cohost of Curtis and Kuby, with Curtis Sliwa, the popular AM drive show on WABC. The show aired weekdays from noon-3 PM eastern time until June 22, 2009...
.
In May 2009 Air America moved Kuby's show to a new time slot, which took him off of the schedule for many affiliates. By June, Doing Time was removed from Air America's schedule.
He is also a frequent pundit and substitute anchor on Court TV
Court TV
truTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
. He and Sliwa once shared a short-lived midday television program on MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
.
During the week of August 16, 2010, Kuby filled in as the host of the WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
morning show, in place of the vacationing John Gambling
John R. Gambling
John R. Gambling is an American radio personality. He is the son of John A. Gambling and the grandson of John B. Gambling, and as such was, and once again is, the third-generation host of The Gambling family's very-long-running New York morning radio show...
. WOR is the main competitor of WABC among New York City talk radio stations.
Testimony/Controversy during John Gotti Jr. retrial
In 2006, Kuby was subpoenaSubpoena
A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of subpoena:...
ed by the defense to testify at the second trial of John A. Gotti, the son of Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
leader John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
, which included the charges for the kidnapping and attempted murder of Kuby's then on-air co-host Curtis Sliwa. Kuby testified that in a 1998 conversation, Gotti said he had wanted to leave organized crime. "He told me he was sick of this life", Kuby told the court. "He wanted to rejoin his family and be done with this." Sliwa reacted angrily to his longtime co-host's testimony for the defense, calling him a "Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
", though Kuby claimed he was following the law by answering a subpoena to testify.
Personal life
Since 1986, Kuby has been in a long-term relationship with Marilyn Vasta, whom he refers to on air as "the beloved Marilyn." On January 23, 2006, Ron Kuby married Vasta. The date was chosen because it was the 20th anniversary of their first date. Kuby made the marriage announcement on his radio program.Pop Culture References
- In the film The Big LebowskiThe Big LebowskiThe Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
, Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (played by Jeff Bridges) demands representation either by Mr. Kuby or Bill Kunstler during the Malibu Police Station scene.
External links
- Ron Kuby's website, Law Office of Ronald L. Kuby
- Air America Radio show site
- Newsmeat, Kuby's Federal Campaign Contribution Report
- A free speech warrior
- Jonathan Leaf Talks With Ron Kuby
- Saddam Hussein's Defense Transcript from the Paula Zahn show of a debate between Ron Kuby and David Horowitz