The Soledad Seven

Today's podcast: The Soledad Seven is the story of seven Black inmates of Soledad prison who were put on trial for murdering a prison guard. Racism, prison gangs, sadistic prison guards, and a corrupt warden flipped what should have been a straighforward trial into a shocking courtroom circus. Innocents were exonerated, but the guilty were never brought to trial, and the guard’s real murderers were never convicted.

Seven Black inmates of Soledad prison who were put on trial for murdering a prison guard and became known as “The Soledad Seven”. Racism, prison gangs, sadistic prison guards, witness tampering, and a corrupt prison warden flipped what should have been a straighforward trial into a shocking courtroom circus. Innocents were exonerated, but the guilty were never brought to trial, and the guard’s real murderers were never convicted.

The Soledad Seven were charged in September 1970 with murder and conspiracy following the stabbing murder of a white prison guard, Officer William Shull. It was a time of intense racial tension and political activism within the California prison system, closely following the high-profile case of the "Soledad Brothers" (which included George Jackson). Because of prior convictions, a guilty verdict would have meant mandatory death penalties.

The original group consisted of Roosevelt Williams, James Wagner, Jesse Lee Phillips, O.C. Allen, Walter Joe Watson, Alfred Dunn, and Jimmie James. Charges against the latter four were dropped due to lack of evidence, but Williams, Wagner, and Phillips were put on trial.

In this video, Richard Hodge, the attorney for Roosevelt Williams, recounts the shocking corruption that he and the defense team uncovered that ultimately led to the dismissal of all charges against their clients.

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