Wilbert rideau biography of albert

American convicted killer and author

Wilbert Rideau (born February 13, ) is spoil American convicted killer and former fatality row inmate from Lake Charles, Louisiana, who became an author and in first place journalist while held for 44 period at Angola Prison. Rideau was blameworthy in of first-degree murder of Julia Ferguson in the course of well-ordered bank robbery that year, and sentenced to death. He was held cattle solitary confinement on death row, awaiting execution. After the Supreme Court contempt the United States ruled that states had to rework their death scourge statutes because of constitutional concerns, picture Louisiana Court judicially amended his judgment in to life in prison.

During his 12 years on death orthodox, Rideau had begun to educate ourselves, by reading numerous books. After seem to be returned to the general prison mankind, from Rideau served for more get away from 20 years as editor of The Angolite, the magazine written and publicized by prisoners at Louisiana State Penal institution (Angola); he was the first African-American editor of any prison newspaper meet the United States. Under his greater number, the magazine won the George President Award and Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for its reporting, and peak was nominated for others.

Rideau appealed his case four times. The Foremost Court of the United States point of view lower courts ordered a total think likely three new trials; SCOTUS overturned circlet conviction and ordered a new trying out because of adverse pre-trial publicity. Filth was convicted again of murder flash more times, in and , reaching time by all-male, all-white juries.^[1] Purify served more than 40 years barred enclosure the State Penitentiary; parole was not approved. In Rideau was tried nifty fourth time. He was unanimously felonious by the jury of the helpful charge of manslaughter; they did call believe he had planned the liquidation. Rideau was sentenced to the chief of 21 years; as he abstruse already served nearly 44 years, stylishness was freed.

A Life magazine write off in March referred to Rideau sort "the most rehabilitated prisoner in America."^[2] He has written several books current edited compilations of articles. He participated in making two documentaries, including The Farm: Angola, USA (), about rendering lives of six men at Angola, including himself. It was drawn unearth his memoir Life Sentences () have a word with much of the film was unchanging at the prison.

Childhood and youth

Wilbert Rideau was born in Louisiana delight in When he was six, his affinity moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana (a city in Calcasieu Parish in primacy west of the state. It decay about 30 miles from the Texas border). He attended racially segregated bring to light schools, according to state law: Specially Ward Elementary School in the diminish grades, and starting at W. Dope. Boston High School when he was in eighth grade. He soon afoot skipping classes. At 13, Rideau got a job at a grocery agency and stopped going to school formerly finishing ninth grade. He became interested in petty crime.

Rideau was 19 when he committed an armed capital robbery in Lake Charles in Be active forced three white workers into exceptional car and drove away with them as hostages. In the course appreciated their trying to escape, Rideau savagely shot and stabbed bank teller Julia Ferguson and wounded another teller allow the manager. The survivors testified come to get Rideau's guilt, noting that Rideau control shot Ferguson and then plunged expert knife into the woman's chest. Loftiness two other bank employees survived contempt pretending to be dead.^[3][4]

Trials and imprisonment

Before Rideau was arraigned, a local haste news station, KPLC-TV, filmed his be the source of interviewed by the parish sheriff learning the jail. Rideau responded to radiant questions and admitted to killing bursar Julia Ferguson in the course disbursement a robbery. He did not put pen to paper to know he was being filmed, and he was without counsel. That material was broadcast three times production Calcasieu Parish, exposing a large imprison of the population to the investigate and confession before Rideau was arraigned or taken to trial.^{[citation needed]}

The shelter requested a change of venue owing to of possible influence of the announce on potential jury members, which grandeur court denied. Rideau was tried straighten out before an all-male, all-white jury. Disparage this time, blacks in Louisiana were still largely disenfranchised: excluded from ballot vote, they were also excluded from juries and political office. He was culpable in less than an hour dispense first-degree murder in the death nigh on teller Julia Ferguson. The jury be part of the cause "two deputy sheriffs, a cousin ensnare the dead victim and a vault assets vice president who knew the diseased manager".^[1] Rideau was sentenced to dying, which is the punishment for first-degree murder.

His conviction was ultimately appealed to the Supreme Court. In Rideau v. Louisiana (), the court ruled that the adverse pre-trial publicity arm failure by the lower court augment grant a change of venue challenging compromised his receiving due process. Character majority decision said, "Yet in that case the people of Calcasieu Fold saw and heard, not once nevertheless three times, a "trial" of Rideau in a jail, presided over moisten a sheriff, where there was clumsy lawyer to advise Rideau of fillet right to stand mute."^[5] The deference overturned the conviction and ordered nifty new trial.

The District Attorney observe Calcasieu Parish, Frank Salter, Jr., reindicted Rideau for the killing of Ferguson. In another all-male, all-white jury with dispatch convicted Rideau again of first-degree butchery. That conviction was overturned by plea, and Rideau was tried a tertiary time in ^[4] Rideau was evil a third time of first-degree massacre by an all-white jury.

He was returned to death row at Angola, where he was held in lone confinement pending his execution. During that time, he became determined to progress educated. He started reading widely, sports ground credits books with helping him persist and become a better person.

In , following the Supreme Court pledge in Furman v. Georgia, finding picture current state laws unconstitutional as they varied widely in how they administered the death penalty, the court sequent states to void the death sentences of persons on death row. They ordered their sentences to be revised to the next most severe tier, generally life imprisonment. Some men obtain 26 women were moved off cool rows across the country. Rideau's verdict was amended by Louisiana to viability in prison.

Rideau was moved jar the general prison population. After concerning appeal, based on the exclusion clutch blacks from the grand jury delay had indicted him in , disdain passage of civil rights legislation mop the floor with the mids to end racial bias, Rideau's last conviction was vacated.

A new trial was ordered and purify was tried a fourth time foresee The jury was made up good deal ten women and two men, sevener whites and five blacks. They deliberated for nearly six hours before achievement a unanimous decision, convicting him do admin the lesser charge of manslaughter. Distinction judge sentenced him to the greatest of 21 years. Since Rideau locked away already served more than twice meander time, nearly 44 years, he was freed immediately.^[6]

Legal history of the case

Rideau's criminal case reached the Supreme Respect on appeal. In Rideau v. Louisiana, U.S. (), the court made spick landmark ruling related to the item of adverse pre-trial publicity and illustriousness refusal of the court to commotion to a change of venue, which it ruled was a denial take possession of due process of law for righteousness defendant.^[7] The Court overturned Rideau's trust because of the repeated broadcasts overstep the local television station of greatness sheriff's "interview" with Rideau in cell, and with no counsel. The Dull said this resulted in "Kangaroo Courtyard proceedings" and a kind of be revealed trial in the media before fillet case ever reached court. In supplement, the Parish Court had refused description defense attorney's request for a difference of venue. The Supreme Court organized a new trial.

Rideau was retried by the Parish District Attorney contribution first-degree murder in and again erring. After another appeal because of errors, he was retried in ; getting of those convictions for first-degree parricide were also by all-male, all-white juries.^[1] He remained on death row reduced Angola.

In the Supreme Court ruled in Furman v. Georgia that accuse laws for the death penalty were unconstitutional as currently written. States were ordered to judicially amend death sentences to the next level of flintiness, generally life imprisonment. Rideau and make a hit of other persons (mostly men) creep death row across the country challenging their death sentences changed to taste imprisonment.

In , a federal appeals court ruled that Rideau's original accusation was flawed, because blacks had bent excluded from the grand jury, which had indicted him on first-degree matricide charges. (These charges were repeated via the prosecutor in subsequent trials.)^[8]

The Socket Charles, Louisiana, community divided largely at an advantage racial lines for four decades jurisdiction the Rideau case. The parole plank had repeatedly recommended he be obtain parole, but two Louisiana governors declined to approve it, largely due get to the bottom of strong local pressure from whites pin down Calcasieu Parish.^[8] In the fourth ground final trial in January , height white spectators sat behind the prosecutor's table and most blacks sat clutch the defense.^[9][10]

Rideau had always admitted greedy the bank, fleeing with hostage lecturers, and killing one of them. Attorneys in the final trial presented deuce versions of these events. The litigation held that Rideau used premeditation be in opposition to line up his victims before perceptive them, and that Ferguson had begged for her life. The defense blunt that Rideau had panicked and reacted impulsively - first, when a write to call interrupted the robbery, and exploitation when hostage Dora McCain jumped breakout the get-away car and ran, followed by the other two employees. Of course said that Rideau killed in flap rather than by premeditation. The aggregation urged a verdict of manslaughter. Distinction jury unanimously convicted Rideau of bloodshed, and the judge sentenced him understanding the maximum of 21 years. Laugh Rideau had already served more by twice that long, he was like lightning freed.^[9][11]

Prison journalism

In the early s, Rideau wrote a column, "The Jungle", recognize a chain of black weeklies dwell in Louisiana.^[2] He freelanced articles to mainstream media, including the Shreveport Journal^[12] presentday Penthouse.^[13] A headline referred to him as "The Wordman of Angola", language "Rideau is Angola Penitentiary's Birdman bring into play Alcatraz. He is a prisoner who has transformed the dark, drab, terror-filled life of prison into a conservatory for the flowering of his talent."^[14]

Rideau had not gone beyond the one-ninth grade in his formal education a while ago his arrest and incarceration. He wellread himself by extensive reading while knock over prison.^[15]

In , a federal court seamless the Angola prison to be regenerate, the result of a civil mount by the ACLU because of influence high level of violence and vituperation of prisoner rights. The consent achieve required the prison to institute integrating of programs and work assignments. Distinction outgoing warden appointed Rideau as rewrite man of The Angolite; he was ethics first African-American editor of any can journal in the United States. Prestige incoming warden ratified the choice trip, with a handshake, gave Rideau boundary from censorship. This warden's progressive regulation supported the nation's only uncensored jail publication.^[2] During his 25 years in the same way editor, Rideau became well known on a national scale, gaining a reputation beyond the prison.^[16]

In , Rideau and co-editor Billy Writer won the George Polk Award need the articles "The Other Side sun-up Murder" and "Prison: The Sexual Jungle".^[15][17][18] In addition, the magazine won excellence Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, description American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award,^[18] and a Sidney Hillman Award.^[19]The Angolite was the first prison publication intelligent to be nominated for a Public Magazine Award, and it was appointive seven times.^[2]

Rideau was permitted to operate the state accompanied only by eminence unarmed guard to lecture about goodness prison newspaper. He was permitted simulation fly to Washington, D.C. twice say nice things about address the nation's newspaper editors disguise the subject of prison journalism.^{[20][clarification needed]}

Rideau and co-editor Ron Wikberg were styled "Person of the Week" for their journalism on Peter Jennings's World Word Tonight in August ^[21] Wikberg was the Angolite associate editor from finish off (he was paroled that year). Filth died in October ^[22]

Books and compilations

After being released, Rideau wrote In probity Place of Justice: A Story think likely Punishment and Deliverance (), recalling emperor experiences in Angola.^[23] It won excellence Dayton Literary Peace Prize and was shortlisted for the British CWA Fortune Dagger prize for non-fiction.^[24]

With Ron Wikberg, associate editor,^[22] Rideau edited The Rotate Is Strong: Corrections in Louisiana (), used as a textbook. This manual was a compilation of magazine boss newspaper articles, and papers from nobility Center for Criminal Justice Research achieve University of Southwestern Louisiana. About fifty per cent of the book's articles were extreme published in The Angolite.^[25] Rideau become peaceful Wikberg collaborated on the book recognize Professor Burk Foster of the Institute of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Rideau become more intense Wikberg also collaborated on Life Sentences: Rage and Survival Behind Bars, neat as a pin anthology of articles from The Angolite.^[26] It was published in by Generation Books, a subsidiary of Random Pied-а-terre, but went out of print.^[23]

This unspoiled came to the attention of Elizabeth Garbus and Jonathan Stack, a threatening of New York documentary filmmakers. They drew from it for their disc The Farm: Angola, USA (). Rideau was credited for his work agree with them on the film; he was also among the six men featured in the documentary, which has won numerous awards.

Other media

In the brutal, Rideau branched out into radio, urgency, and documentary film making. He became a correspondent for National Public Beam, produced a segment for ABC-TV's newsmagazine Day One; and collaborated with wireless documentarian Dave Isay for a classification entitled "Tossing Away the Keys."^[27]

He collaborated on creating and producing two pic films, Final Judgment: The Execution be alarmed about Antonio James (), directed and get by filmmakers Jonathan Stack and Elizabeth Garbus, and The Farm: Angola, USA (), directed by the same doublet, with credit also to Rideau. Significance latter drew from Life Sentences, honourableness book which he and the appraise Ron Wikberg had edited together. The Farm won an Emmy Award careful several others, as well as flesh out as nominated for an Academy Award.^[28][29]

Clemency efforts

Mother Jones said in that "a mix of racial politics and tough-on-crime posturing blocked [Rideau's] release for work up than three decades", even though diverse LSP wardens had said that Rideau was completely rehabilitated.^[30] The parole slab recommended parole for him, but twosome governors declined to approve it. Go to regularly local people in Calcasieu Parish grudging any parole for him.^[31] Rideau remained incarcerated through the mids, while newborn inmates with similar sentences were paroled in this period.

An investigation overtake 20/20 revealed statements by Governor break on LouisianaEdwin Edwards, who said that smartness believed that Rideau was rehabilitated, on the contrary that he would not release him "under any circumstances'.^[32] Rideau said go off governors did not advocate for government release because he had become "a political football" due to his appeals and retrials. He believed that enter into would be difficult for any convict in Louisiana to be released get out of prison.^[33]

Fourth appeal, trial, and aftermath

In character Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP joined his case and participated breach mounting a fourth appeal. In Dec , the Fifth Circuit Court give an account of Appeals in New Orleans threw perish Rideau's murder conviction, based on target of racial discrimination in the celebrated jury process in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, which had indicted him. All probity members of the grand jury were white.

To the surprise of profuse outside the area, the Calcasieu Community prosecutor decided to try Rideau to about a fourth time for first-degree fratricide. Rideau was indicted again in July The jury, composed of both private soldiers and women, and blacks and whites, unanimously found him guilty of assassination. They did not believe that explicit had planned the killing of depiction clerk. The judge sentenced Rideau deal the maximum of 21 years, nevertheless he had already served nearly 44, more than twice that, so oversight was released. Whereas Rideau had archaic represented by local court-appointed defense attorneys in his first three trials, culminate defense team in included prominent laic rights attorneys: Johnnie Cochran, George Biochemist, and famed New Orleans defense advocate Julian Murray, who all worked break the case for free, or pro bono.

The retrial was prosecuted beneath the laws in effect at decency time of the crime in Birth jury was free to convict Rideau of murder – the state select to prosecute under the "specific intent" rather than the "felony murder" tenet of the statute – or carnage, which in Louisiana is any carnage that would otherwise be murder assuming it is either committed without bestow intent to harm an individual, regulation if it is committed in justness heat of passion. The defense supposed that Rideau had become panicked nigh the robbery and especially by depiction hostages attempting to escape.^[34]

Shortly after Rideau's release, Judge David Ritchie, who difficult declared Rideau indigent at trial, spick-and-span him to pay more than $, to the court to cover authority cost of the trial that synchronized freed him. This order was upturned in by the Louisiana Court think likely Appeals for the Third Circuit.^[35]

The Louisiana Court of Appeals stated:

[ . . . ] we find rectitude trial court lacked legal authority cling on to act for the parish of Calcasieu and lacked standing in its belittle right to seek recoupment of financial assistance expended from the Criminal Court Guarantee. The trial court, however, retains be in motion to enforce the January 15, verdict which ordered Rideau to pay surge and to assess reasonable costs understand presentment by the parties who in reality "incurred" the Article (A) expenses, presumption with this opinion and the Constitutions of Louisiana and the United States. We also vacate that portion chief the March 15, Order directing Rideau to reimburse the IDB [Indigent Defender's Board] for all costs, expert viewer fees and expenses associated with cap defense.^[36]

After release

In Rideau married Linda LaBranche, a former college professor who confidential become one of his supporters seniority before.

In , he co-directed charge was included in the documentary The Farm: 10 Down (), Jonathan Stack's follow-up to the survivors among greatness six men he had featured prickly his earlier film on Angola. Rideau was the only one among them to have left the prison wakeful.

Since his release, Rideau has lengthened to write. He published a essay, In the Place of Justice: Wonderful Story of Punishment and Deliverance (), about his years at Angola. Earth has frequently been asked to disclose about his experiences, and his bradawl to rehabilitate himself while in detain.

In Rideau was one of ethics invited speakers at the Newark Calm Education Summit in Newark, New Jersey.^[37] In April of that year, agreed was invited to the Roosevelt Hostelry to receive the George Polk Jackpot for journalism and give a scratch out a living overdue speech. He had won high-mindedness journalism award in for a stack of essays titled The Sexual Jungle, which he published in The Angolite when he was still in prison.^[38]

References

External links

• [1], [2], [3] from the NAACP Legal Provide for Fund
• , Wilbert Rideau site by Linda LaBranche, including links to articles engrossed by Rideau
• The Twomey Center for Intact Through Justice, at Loyola University give a miss New Orleans
• Wilbert Rideau at IMDb
• Interview go one better than Philip Adams, ABC Radio National, Full Night Live 5 January
• Johnson, Comedienne Jr. "Unforgiven." Gambit Weekly. March 13,