They Huey P. Newton Reader

104 The Hue P. Newton Reader
head kind of down facing the headlights of the coach and I couldn't
get a good look-.
Over the word "did" someone had written in the correct word:
"didn't." But throughout the trial,]cnscn, knowing that this issue was
crucial, had neglected to inform Garry, the jury, and the court that there
was a question in the transcript of how clearly Grier had been able to
sec. Indeed, Jensen's contention was that Grier had gotten a good look
and was therefore in a position to identiry that person as me. As long
as there was the slightest doubt in his mind about whether the word
was "did" or "didn't" he had a moral obligation to inform the court and
the defense counsel, and it was an absolute matter of conscience that
he listen again to the tape to see what the word actually was. He never
bothered.
In this important matter and in all the other dubious issues-the
position of the bullet casings, the police tapes, the hiding of Grier, the
keeping of important witnesses off the stand, the changing of Grier's
original testimony-Lowell Jensen proved less than honorable. It is
the prosecutor's job to convict a guilty man-not an innocent one. And
in my case Jensen had many reasons to believe I was innocent. He chose
to ignore them all.
When the prosecution rested its case, Charles Garry, on the morning
of August 19, moved for another mistrial. He based his motion
on the fact that it was impossible for me to receive a fair trial in Oakland
because of the atmosphere of hatred, violence, and controversy.
As proof of this, he read to the court samples of hate mail that he and
I had been receiving. One of the letters was from four retired marines
who said they had known Frey. The letter stated that neither Garry
nor I would be alive ten days after the trial was over, no matter what
the verdict. Another letter was signed "KKK" and read:
Nigger Lover:
I guess you feel that the murdering coon's gonna get off because
the jury and witnesses have all been intimidated to the extent that
no one dares convict. I hope he will be gunned down in the streets
by some friends of the poor policeman he killed. The Black Panthers
parade all over the place and I don't see why the KKK and American
Nazi Parties couldn't do the same. It is supposed to be a free coun-