Closing Keynote Address for the Executing Justice Conference Saturday April 26, 2003 / 4:00 - 5:30 PM Embarcadaro Theatre in Isla Vista Part of the Executing Justice: America and the Death Penalty Conference On June 17, 1966, three white patrons were gunned down at the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey. A young professional boxer named Rubin Carter was arrested and eventually tried for the killings. Though the state's evidence depended largely on the shaky testimony of two former convicts, Carter and his co-defendant John Artis were convicted of the murders by an all-white jury. Both were sentenced to life behind bars. After several unsuccessful attempts to challenge the conviction, Carter languished behind bars into the 1980s. Finally, on November 7, 1985, Federal District Judge H. Lee Sarokin freed Carter after finding that the convictions were based on racial prejudices and not facts. Today, Carter works for an organization in Canada that assists those who have been wrongfully accused of crimes. He is the author of "From Number 1 Contender to #45472," member of the Board of Directors of the Southern Center for Human Rights, the Alliance for Prison Justice, and the Association of the Wrongfully Convicted. In his talk, Mr. Carter will discuss his personal experiences and issues related to the death penalty in America. This event is sponsored by a "Critical Issues in America" grant, the Law and Society Program and the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center. This lecture is part of the “Executing Justice: America and the Death Penalty" Conference. Top of Page <<Back