New Haven Black Panther trials
| Part of Black Power movement | |
Courtroom sketch of the murder trial in 1971. | |
| Date | 1970-71 |
|---|---|
| Location | New Haven, Connecticut |
| Cause | Murder of Alex Rackley |
| Outcome | Reactions
Rulings
|
The New Haven Black Panther trials were a series of criminal prosecutions in New Haven, Connecticut against members of the Black Panther Party from 1969 to 1971. All charges stemmed from the killing of 19-year-old Alex Rackley on May 21, 1969, with charges ranging from criminal conspiracy to first-degree murder. Black Panther Party chairman Bobby Seale was implicated for visiting the New Haven chapter of the party at the time of Rackley's murder. The trials became a cause célèbre for the American left in support for the Black Panther Party members on trial and a rallying-point for left-wing radicals against the FBI.
Warren Kimbro and George W. Sams Jr. were convicted of murder, and Lonnie McLucas was convicted of conspiracy to murder. Seale and Ericka Huggins had their charges dismissed due to a hung jury. The New Haven trials damaged the reputation of both the Black Panther Party and the FBI, marking a decline in public support for the Black Panther Party, even among African-Americans.