The government also taped other conversations, including some between Charles Harrelson and his attorney, and others between Joseph and Jamiel Chagra. Without Joe Chagras testimony, Jimmy Chagra was acquitted of murder and conspiracy to murder but convicted of lesser obstruction of justice and drug charges. circular of wanted people as a ''carpet salesman, professional gambler and narcotics trafficker.''. Jamiel Chagra's trial moved to Jacksonville, Florida. Jamiel Chagra was acquitted of murder and conspiracy to murder but convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and conspiracy to possess marijuana; he was later convicted of tax evasion. It was a David vs. Goliath battle. To those of us who knew the situation, Jimmys assertion that Joe made him do it was ludicrous, but it fit neatly into the governments scenario. But as his lawyer, Harrelson reasoned, anything Joe discovered about Woods murder would have to be kept confidential because of attorney-client privilege. It was a big deal; there was a lot of interest in the case, said Millsap, who later served as Bexar County district attorney. The assassination came at the height of a Justice Department campaign to slow the flow of illicit drugs across the Mexican border. He was 63. The hearing was the first in which federal prosecutors have failed to obtain a contempt citation against people refusing to testify before the grand jury investigating the fatal shooting of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. Two of those people recently were released. It was a big deal to a lot of people, concurred lawyer Charles Campion, who defended Harrelsons wife, Jo Ann Harrelson, the woman who bought the murder weapon. The case has prompted Mrs. Harrelson to attempt suicide and caused her to temporarily disown her two daughters for having affairs with Harrelson during their marriage. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-magazines/charles-harrelson-trial-1982-83. Find out more about his hitman father, Charles Harrelson, here. 3 children killed, 2 hospitalized in North Texas domestic incident. "Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 Editor's note: This story originally published in a 2017 series honoring the 300th anniversary of San Antonio.A man named Bill Bannister registered at the Town House motel on Loop 410 on Memorial Day 1979. - Steve Spain, Executive Director, Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity. Now, perhaps due to our improved stature, our incoming donations are 80% new! A portrait of Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr. hangs at the Federal Courthouse, Monday, August 7, 2017. . Then-FBI Director William Webster dispatched dozens of agents to San Antonio for a massive investigation that resulted in Harrelson and four others being charged in connection with Woods assassination a killing still etched in the citys lore. Time (October 25, 1982). Anyone can read what you share. They pulled out all the stops. U.S. District Judge John H. Wood was assassinated in San Antonio May 29, 1979, by Charles Harrelson. In an unsuccessful effort to try to free his wife early from her 30-year sentence, Chagra later admitted to his role in the conspiracy to murder Wood and agreed to testify against people who had tried to kill James Kerr, a federal prosecutor who had initially obtained drug-trafficking indictments against Jimmy Chagra and battled repeatedly in court with Lee Chagra. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. ", & Dr. Charles wife at the time, Judge Wood denied any impropriety and refused to remove himself from the case. Jimmy Chagra was granted a separate trial. As a result, people used him. See the Elon Musk family tree here at FameChain. Wood was shot in the back with a high-powered rifle while leaving his north San Antonio townhouse for work. "The Judge Wood Murder Case." If I'm not the expert in one area, I know already that somebody is within the Harrelson Center. The 5th U.S. Not wanting to put his family through a trial, Joe pleaded guilty to something he didnt do, Chagra Russell said. Harrelson claimed that when the murder took place, he was in Dallas, 270 miles away. Later, Chagra admitted to the judges murder and to the attempted murder of Kerr in an effort to free his wife from prison. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Jimmy's trial was scheduled to begin on the day the judge died. In the 1970s, Jimmy Chagra was the marijuana kingpin of the Western world. Firefighters hoist horse stranded in backyard swimming pool. ''I thought he should,'' Joseph Chagra said. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Even though every partner is In the investigation, which cost at least $5 million, the Government recorded more than 1,000 conversations, most of them by telephone, that Jamiel Chagra was involved in at various prisons, particularly the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan. Tapes of Jerry Ray James' extensive conversations with Jamiel spelled out details of the plot to kill the judge. SHREVEPORT, La. The collaborations and friendships are blessings to me and to our organization. 40 Days of Trial Testimony, In the course of 40 days of trial testimony from 130 witnesses and introduction of more than 300 exhibits, the Government developed what Mr. Jahn described in opening remarks and a closing argument as ''a story of fear, a story of greed and a story of murder. On another visit Jimmy told Joe, Youre the one who said, Do it, do it, do it. Joe tried to conceal his shock by talking tough, saying he never thought his brother would hire an asshole like Harrelson. Harrelson is drowning in a sea of evidence and she realizes it,' assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Jahn told jurors before the verdict Monday. In his testimony, Mr. Harrelson said he was ''set up'' by George Edward (Pete) Kay, another gambler. The government has also won a conviction of Mrs. Harrelson for obstruction of justice and of Elizabeth Chagra, wife of another Las Vegas gambler, for conspiracy in the slaying. Former U.S. serviceman sentenced to 45 years for planning attack on fellow soldiers. It was the first time someone assassinated a sitting federal judge. "Foster Pantry moved on campus in May 2021 after joining the Harrelson Center initially as an Associate Partner in 2019. Jo Ann Harrelson was convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and later convicted of five counts of perjury. Support is Mrs. Chagra was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Among other points, Woody said that his father had spent only $7,000 on his defense, compared to the $5 to $10 million spent by the federal government in marshalling evidence. It was then, the Government asserted, that ''the fear began. He was sentenced to life in prison. As each juror affirmed the vote of guilty on counts of conspiracy to murder, murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice, several had tears in their eyes and one woman shook visibly and broke into sobs. Harrelson, 69, died of a heart attack in March 2007 in a federal maximum-security prison in Colorado. Prosecutors made a diorama of Woods condo complex to show how the murder occurred. At a subsequent trial, held in Florida because of the publicity in Texas, Jimmy Chagra was Sessions gave Chagra 30 years on the drug charges, and he was sent to Leavenworth. Florida woman runs ultra-marathon distances for 23 consecutive days. The trial grew out of one of the largest FBI investigations in history, taking three years and over $5 million. In real life, it highlighted the criminal acts of those accused in Woods killing a drug lord, an actors father and some of their relatives. Midland was in the jurisdiction of U.S. District Judge John Wood, known as Maximum John for his tough prison sentences in drug cases. Adding further to their indignation, the trial was presided over by then-federal Judge William Sessions, who was a pallbearer at Woods funeral and delivered a eulogy, Campion said. By the time the first indictments came down in April 1982, the FBI had conducted more than 30,000 interviews and collected more than 500,000 pieces of information. The evil sought to be avoided by pr, A sentence whereby a convict is released from confinement but is still under court supervision; a testing or a trial period. At the end of the hearing, Jamiel turned to his brother and attorney, Joseph Chagra, and said he would never have a fair trial. Woody Harrelson funded his fathers appeals, enlisting the aid of controversial Jo Ann Harrelson was convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and later convicted of five counts of perjury. Liz got a 30-year sentence. Jo Ann Harrelson was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Courthouse in San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday morning, September 28, 1982, to begin the trial for the May 1979 murder of Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr.( AP PHOTO/ STEVE KRAUSS). I promised Samantha that I would write that Joe was a good father, and I know damn well he was. The first giraffe in San Antonio was part of a traveling circus that stopped here in 1901. ." Here, we have shared resources, funding, and space with the Center just bringing it all together. You cant imagine the shock when Jimmy Chagra was acquitted.. She had then given the rifle to George Kay. Though he was strung out on coke, Joe had by this point become the nominal head of the Chagra family, meaning it was his responsibility to visit Jimmy, who whined constantly and seemed to think the mess his life had become was Joes fault. Joe Chagra testified that the first mention of having Wood murdered came in the judges courtroom in April 1979, after Jimmy Chagra lost a motion to remove Wood from his drug case. A police officer stopped his car. Mrs. Harrelson bought the rifle under a fictitious name, Fay King, or faking. Elizabeth Chagra admitted she delivered the money but said she did not know what it was for. Years later, the trial of Charles V. Harrelson revealed that Bill Bannister was a pseudonym Harrelson used to help track the judge, who was shot in the back outside his Alamo Heights townhome less than 2 miles from the motel as he was leaving for work. According to newspaper stories citing trial testimony, a drug trafficker and flamboyant gambler originally from El Paso, Jamiel Jimmy Chagra, paid Harrelson $250,000 to kill Wood because Chagra feared a trial and sentencing by Maximum John. Wood earned the moniker for his reputation of giving tough sentences to drug traffickers. Chagra told Sheehan that he offered to plead guilty to having Judge Wood murdered, if theyd release my wife. Less than a year before Judge Wood was slain, Lee Chagra, Joseph's older brother, who had defended numerous narcotics suspects in Judge Wood's court, was killed in his office by armed robbers. In a series of videotaped interviews after his release from prison, Chagra told Las Vegas author Jack Sheehan that his prosecution was the result of a beef Wood had against his older brother Lee. In an earlier trial, Mrs. Harrelson's husband, Charles Harrelson, was convicted of the 1979 assassination of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. in San Antonio, Texas, the only such killing of a sitting federal judge this century. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. March 4 (UPI) -- At least 15 people were killed and searchers combed a section ofthe Indonesian capital of Jakartafor survivors Saturday after a massive fire engulfed a fuel storage depot. From start to finish, I was treated with kindness and dignity. WebJo Ann Harrelson, Charles Voyed Harrelson and Elizabethnichols Chagra, Defendants-appellants, 754 F.2d 1153 (5th Cir. I visited him several times, once with my wife, Phyllis. They did a full-court press. The Center recognizes the critical needs of others and encourages, uplifts and assists them in rebuilding their lives through the services provided in the center. Allegations arose that Chagra hired Harrelson, the actor Woody Harrelsons father, to commit the murder. March 2 (UPI) -- A Minnesota police officer came to the rescue of a raccoon he spotted running around with a jar stuck over its head. "Texas SniperThe Charge: Murdering a Judge." Joseph Chagra refused to testify against his own brother Jamiel (Jimmy), however. He was 50. On Feb. 26, 1979, he was indicted on five counts of trafficking in marijuana and cocaine. Elizabeth Chagra was convicted of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Donald asks the courts to let him tweet. The prosecution produced no murder weapon or any eyewitnesses. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Warren Burnett, the attorney for Mrs. Chagra, expressed ''bitter, bitter disappointment'' and said he would also appeal the verdict. She, in turn, claimed she thought the payoff was for a gambling debt, and did not believe her husband when he claimed, "This is for the judge.". But unknown to Harrelson, the trial had been postponed, Ray Jahn said. Charles Harrelson, arrives at the U.S. Livestreaming available the night of the event by clicking here. However, she testified that her husband had stalked into the house after a hearing with the judge and vowed, ''I'm going to kill him.''. He agreed to testify against Mr. Harrelson and pleaded guilty to conspiracy in return for a 10-year prison sentence and relief from having to testify against Jimmy. March 3 (UPI) -- A former U.S. soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday for planning a deadly ambush on members of his military unit. The next morning, May 29, using a high-powered rifle fitted with a scope, that man fired a shot that would be heard around the world. The trial of Jamiel Chagra was set for May 29, 1979, but Judge Wood was shot as he left his apartment in Alamo Heights for court. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. But I believe Joe made up those stories as part of a deal with the prosecution, and so do many others close to the case. He also agreed to testify against all co-defendants except his brother. Joe Chagra ended Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conspiracy conviction February 15, 1985, on the grounds that the prosecution failed to show premeditation and malice. The trial for Jimmy Chagra, meanwhile, was moved to Jacksonville, Florida, and his lawyer, former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, dealt the government a defeat. Together we create higher quality programs, were better able to remove barriers, and we have more space to provide instruction with positive adult role models. SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- A convicted hit man's wife Monday won a first round in her battle with federal prosecutors who want her jailed for refusing to testify against her husband in the probe of the slaying of a federal judge. Jimmy told me he was never going to get a fair trial and asked if I thought he should try having Judge Wood killed, Joe Chagra testified, according to newspaper stories at the time. He spent more than 35 years defending some of the most notorious alleged Mob figures, including Meyer Lansky, Frank Rosenthal, Anthony Spilotro and Jimmy Chagra. Charles Harrelson was a master at creating alibis, screens and layers between him and his crimes, according to retired federal prosecutor Ray Jahn, who with his wife, LeRoy Jahn, prosecuted Harrelson and his co-defendants. He gave us details that only he knew, Ray Jahn said. Thank you for helping me and our community. Jimmy Chagra, the high-stakes gambler who faced sentencing by Wood in a drug case shortly before the judge was killed, was cleared of conspiracy. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. "Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 By Wayne King, Special To the New York Times.