My understanding is that LBJ President Johnson was afraid nobody would accept induction if it became well known you could avoid prison through the means JW's sought. We were "made an example of" and this comported with the WatchTower's plan of advertising our "purity" with martyrs of a kind.
One of the Brothers in prison with me came from a family which had money and he fought the prison situation as best he could afford. As I previously mentioned, his family hired the "famous" Hayden C. Covington. (Flat fee of $10,000).
Hayden C. Covington, one of the most
influential figures in the history of First Amendment law. Beyond the
numerous First Amendment cases he argued or co-argued in the Supreme
Court, he also prevailed on behalf of the Witnesses in over “100 decisions
handed down by various state supreme courts, and . . . also triumphed in
dozens of lower federal court rulings.”
“In the mid-twentieth century, Covington handled as many as
50 major cases every year involving the civil liberties of Jehovah’s
Witnesses, who frequently faced persecution because of their uncommon
beliefs and often provocative behavior.”
Covington took over all Supreme Court appeals for the
organization. While he had argued many cases before the
Supreme Court prior to this time, Rutherford’s death left him
firmly in charge of the Witnesses’ constitutional battles.
During one week in 1943, Covington argued fourteen cases
before the United States Supreme Court.
SOUNDS IMPRESSIVE!
Read on ...
In the middle of my friend Sammy's trial, Covington got a phone call from Muhammed Ali's people offering him a considerably higher fee than Sammy. $250,000!
Clients can fire attorneys but a lawyer can't fire their client. Covington, according to Brother Sam Salamy, asked to speak to the Judge in his chambers. When he returned the Judge sentenced Sammy to 2 years.
Covington told Sammy he had saved him $10,000 in fines and had cut the 5 year maximum down to 2.
Years later, Sammy learned that the 2-year sentence was on the books mandated from the Federal Government for all JW's (unless they were under 21 like me!)
In other words, Covington didn't even try! He hurried off to court on behalf of Muhammed Ali and pulled the same stunt. Ali was found guilty and Covington was fired. (He sued for his quarter of a million dollar fee.)
Ali hired better attorneys and the case was reversed, Ali never spent even one hour in jail.
I tell you all this not to prove any point at all. It's just cards on a table. Make of it what you will. If Covington had been in top form and had cared - his previous experience and success would indicate he could have arguably saved the day for a lot of JW's - but he was an alcoholic. So, there's that.
It is a matter of record that Covington was handling about 50 cases a year for JW's who had money! He pulled the same stunt; parlaying his fame and Supreme Court success rate for cash.
TODAY is my 51st ANNIVERSARY of going to prison. I was 20 years old.
by Terry 14 Replies latest jw friends
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Terry
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Anna Marina
Terry - thank you from me too for posting this very interesting information. -
was a new boy
51 years ago this day in 1967.
Was it 53 years ago this day in 1967? Or 51 years ago this day in 1969 when you were released?I threw myself into Full-Time door to door ministry until I crashed and burned and had a quiet nervous breakdown.
Why were you not pioneering at 20? If the answer is in the book, don't answer, I'll read it for myself. -
smiddy3
That`s very interesting about Covington Terry ,thanks for posting about him.
He was certainly one of the most influential figures in the " History of Jehovah`s Witnesses " also.
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Terry
was a new boy: Why were you not pioneering at 20? If the answer is in the book, don't answer, I'll read it for myself.
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That's a salient question!
Back in 1967 there was "no such thing" as Asperger's or 'spectrum Autism disorder" or whatever they're calling it now. So I was undiagnosed. Psychology and Psychiatry, as you well know, was verboten by the Society.
I would explain the answer to your question this way. I didn't drive (I walked everywhere no matter how far or how long it took) and Pioneering required a partner with a car willing to drive way across town to collect me and return me.
There was none such person in the Congregation.
So, how did you get to the Kingdom Hall for Meetings, Terry?
My best friend (who inducted me into JW-dom) had parents who drove each and every meeting and they were my ferry. Amazing, isn't it?
Had they not happily done that very thing - I'd never have even been a JW.
The Brothers who became my friends had cars, of course.
If we went anywhere - they drove.
Asperger's is my only explanation for not caring about driving or owning a car.
Hell - I couldn't go out on dates without transportation (and consequently couldn't get into 'trouble').
When I was paroled in 1969, an ex-Brother donated to me (for Pioneering purposes) his 1961 purple Plymouth Fury. That's how I was able to Pioneer.
(That ex-JW had joined the Navy rather than go to prison and he told me he was "moved" to donate his car out of "admiration" for my courage.)
It was NOT courage!
Asperger's again. I was and am very stubborn. I could grit my teeth and do crazy things. My focus on what I am doing is scary. :)
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Was it 53 years ago this day in 1967? Or 51 years ago this day in 1969 when you were released?
I don't celebrate in my heart or my head the parole date.
It was the beginning of a terrible period in my life even, perhaps, worse than prison. (
Moot point, I assure you.)
I remember and celebrate the fact I have an event (1967) which serves to remind me I can get through absolutely anything life throws my way because I - a Momma's boy - made it through the ordeal of incarceration.
I learned about life, about men, about police, about Federal institutions - a whole stack of learning I'd never have gotten otherwise.
Life Lesson, you might say.
That is what I commemorate.