The People's Advocate

The People's Advocate

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THE PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE: The Life & Times of Charles R. Garry
The People’s Advocate is a feature-length documentary about Charles Garry—one of the most influential criminal defense attorneys of the 20th century who became a household name during the 1960s with his defense of revolutionary political icons like Huey Newton and Bobby Seale of the Black Panther Party.
Remembered as a "genuine American hero" in a 1991 San Francisco Examiner editorial published shortly after his death, Garry's clients “had two traits in common: They were outside the American mainstream, and they needed a strong lawyer." The People's Advocate chronicles Garry’s life from his early days growing up as an Armenian in Fresno, California to his tragic experience in Jonestown, Guyana.
This film seeks to fill the gap Seale wrote about nearly thirty years ago in his autobiography Seize the Time: “We don’t know every detail of Charles’ life, but we can see that he is a man who is dedicated to the survival and the existence of the right to self-determination of human beings. We need a lot more history on Charles R. Garry so we can understand what motivates a man to be such a defender of the people’s human rights.”
An outspoken advocate for the underdog, Garry’s career came to an unexpected and tragic halt in 1978 when his client, the Reverend Jim Jones of the Peoples Temple, led over 900 of his followers in mass suicide at Jonestown.
This documentary recounts Garry’s life through the voices of those who knew him best—family, fellow attorneys, and former clients.
CREW
HRAG YEDALIAN (Director, Producer, Editor)
CARRIE LOZANO (Executive Producer)
DAVID HAKOPYAN (Music Supervisor)
THE APEX THEORY (Original Music)
INTERVIEWEES
MALCOLM BURNSTEIN
Along with Charles Garry, Malcolm Burnstein helped defend the “Oakland 7”—seven Bay Area activists who were charged with conspiracy for organizing the 1967 Oakland “Stop the Draft Week.” A distinguished attorney, Burnstein also served as the legal advisor to the UC Berkeley Free Speech Movement and its leader Mario Savio.
TERRY CANNON
During the 1960s, Terry Cannon worked as a SNCC field secretary and subsequently founded and edited “The Movement” newspaper. A vocal anti-war activist, Cannon stood trial in 1969 as one of the “Oakland 7.” He is currently working on a novel about the anti-war movement of the late 1960s.
KATHLEEN CLEAVER
Kathleen Cleaver served as the National Communications Secretary of the Black Panther Party. Formerly married to famed author and Black Panther Party leader Eldridge Cleaver, she is currently a senior lecturer at the Emory School of Law in Atlanta, and a lecturer at Yale Law School.
REESE ERLICH
A former staff writer and research editor for “Ramparts” magazine, Reese Erlich was tried as one of the “Oakland 7” in 1969. Erlich is currently an established radio journalist who reports regularly for the National Public Radio, Marketplace Radio, Latino USA, Radio Deutche Welle, Australian Broadcasting Corp. Radio, and Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Radio. He also writes for the San Francisco Chronicle, St. Petersburg Times, and Christian Science Monitor.
HARVEY AND HAIG GARABEDIAN
Charles Garry’s two brothers, Harvey (1914-2003) and Haig (1919-2005) were born in Selma, California. After working as longshoremen in San Francisco for many years, the two settled in Fresno, California and remained there until their deaths. Ardent supporters of Armenian-American organizations in Fresno, they were actively involved with a number of Armenian causes.
ANN FAGAN GINGER
Ann Fagan Ginger is the founder and former executive director of the Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute. She is the author of numerous books including “Jury Selection in Civil and Criminal Trials,” “Carol Weiss King: Human Rights Lawyer,” and “Challenging U.S. Human Rights Violations since 9/11.”
DAVID HILLIARD
David Hilliard is the former Chief of Staff of the Black Panther Party. In 1969, Hilliard was at the center of national controversy when he was accused of threatening President Richard Nixon’s life during a public speech. He recently authored “Huey: Spirit of the Panther”—an intimate portrait of Huey P. Newton and the Black Panther Party.
ALEX HOFFMANN
Heavily involved with the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s, attorney Alex Hoffmann assisted Charles Garry in the defense of Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton.
ERICKA HUGGINS
Ericka Huggins is a former Black Panther Party Deputy Minister of Education. During her 1970 case in New Haven, Connecticut, Charles Garry spearheaded the largest and longest jury selection process in United States trial history. Between 1973-1981, she was the Director of the Oakland Community School—a community run and supported child development center and elementary school in East Oakland. She is currently working on her autobiography.
STEPHAN JONES
Stephan Jones is the son of People’s Temple leader Jim Jones. He currently lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area.
ROXANNE MAKASDJIAN
Former University of California, Berkeley School of Journalism student, Roxanne Makasdjian followed and videotaped Charles Garry during the last years of his life for the film “Streetfighter in the Courtroom.” Makasdjian currently works as a television news producer in San Francisco.
PATRICIA RICHARTZ
Charles Garry’s longtime girlfriend and personal investigator, Patricia Richartz developed close friendships with Huey P. Newton and other Black Panther Party leaders. Active in the civil rights and anti-war movements, she had previously worked with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and famed attorney William Kunstler.
BOBBY SEALE
Along with Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale co-founded the Black Panther Party in 1966. He was tried as one of the “Chicago 8” in 1969. Mid-way through the case, Judge Julius Hoffman ordered US Marshals to place a gag around Seale’s mouth and chain him to a chair—he had demanded to serve as his own attorney while Charles Garry was recovering from a surgery.
LEONARD WEINGLASS
Leonard Weinglass is a famed civil rights advocate who gained national prominence during the late 1960s as one of the attorneys of the “Chicago 8” (Bobby Seale, Abbie Hoffman, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Jerry Rubin, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner). Other clients of his have included Angela Davis, Amy Carter (daughter of President Jimmy Carter), and Mumia Abu-Jamal.
HOWARD ZINN
Author of “A People's History of the United States,” Howard Zinn is a famed historian and civil rights activist. He is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Boston University.
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