Angela Davis Innocent of Judge Murder
False Assumption: Angela Davis bears no moral responsibility for the 1970 courtroom murder of Judge Harold Haley despite buying the murder weapon.
Written by FARAgent on February 10, 2026
In August 1970, Jonathan Jackson, the 17-year-old brother of Angela Davis's boyfriend George Jackson, used guns purchased by Davis two days earlier to seize hostages in a Marin County courtroom. The attack aimed to free the Soledad Brothers. Judge Harold Haley's head was blown off by a shotgun during the incident.
Davis faced trial for murder but was acquitted, with the state failing to prove complicity beyond reasonable doubt. She became Distinguished Professor Emerita of Feminist Studies and History of Consciousness at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She spent decades giving speeches and receiving awards.
Growing skepticism questions her moral innocence, yet institutions continue granting her prizes and honorary degrees. Critics note no plausible case clears her fully, unlike the social ostracism faced by O.J. Simpson post-acquittal.
People Involved
- In the summer of 1970, Jonathan Jackson, the 17-year-old brother of Angela Davis's boyfriend George Jackson, entered a courtroom in Marin County, California.
- He carried guns that belonged to Davis, a philosophy professor. [1]
- Jackson took hostages, including Judge Harold Haley, and in the chaos that followed, Haley's head was blown off by a shotgun Davis had bought just two days earlier. [1]
- Davis faced charges but won acquittal in 1972. She went on to become Distinguished Professor Emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz, collecting prizes and honorary degrees for decades afterward. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (3)
“Dr. Davis had bought two days before.”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
“The attack on the courtroom using her guns was carried out by her boyfriend George Jackson’s 17 year old brother Jonathan Jackson”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
“whose head was blown off by a shotgun Dr. Davis had bought two days before.”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
Organizations Involved
The University of California, Santa Cruz played a key role in sustaining the view of Angela Davis's innocence. Despite her acquittal in the murder of Judge Harold Haley, the institution appointed her as Distinguished Professor Emerita of Feminist Studies and History of Consciousness. [1] This move helped cement her status in academic circles, even as critics argued it overlooked lingering questions about her involvement. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“Distinguished Professor Emerita of Feminist Studies and History of Consciousness at the University of California, Santa Cruz”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
The Foundation
The assumption that Angela Davis bore no moral responsibility for Judge Harold Haley's murder rested on her 1972 acquittal. That verdict established a lack of complicity beyond reasonable doubt, at least in the eyes of the court. [1] Supporters pointed to this as proof of her innocence, which in turn justified the academic honors and speaking engagements that followed. Yet critics argue there was no plausible case for her being wholly unaware or uninvolved, given her purchase of the weapon. [1] Growing questions surround whether the acquittal fully addressed her moral role, leaving the matter debated among experts. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“the state didn’t prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt that she was complicit in the murder of Judge Harold Haley”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
“But I’ve also never heard anybody make a terribly plausible case that she was wholly morally innocent in this spectacular crime.”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
How It Spread
Academic institutions helped spread the idea of Angela Davis's moral innocence after her acquittal. They awarded her prizes, honorary degrees, and a professorship at places like the University of California, Santa Cruz. [1] For decades, this allowed her to deliver speeches and influence discourse, even as mounting evidence challenged the narrative of her complete detachment from the 1970 events. [1] Dissenters faced little platform in these circles, where the assumption held firm through institutional backing. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“And yet lots of people keep giving her prizes and honorary degrees”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
Harm Caused
The immediate harm fell on Judge Harold Haley in that Marin County courtroom in 1970. His head was blown off by the shotgun Angela Davis had purchased, during a hostage crisis led by Jonathan Jackson. [1] Broader consequences emerged over time, as critics argue that honoring Davis undermined moral standards in elite settings. They contrast her case with that of O.J. Simpson, who faced social exclusion after his acquittal, pointing to a double standard. [1] Growing questions surround whether this ongoing recognition erodes public trust in institutions that overlook such histories. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“Judge Harold Haley’s head was blown off with a shotgun Davis had bought two days earlier.”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
“While a liberated O.J. retired to playing municipal golf courses (having been kicked out of Riviera Country Club), Angela has spent much of her life ever since giving speeches and collecting awards and honors.”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
Downfall
By the 2010s, public questioning of Angela Davis's moral innocence began to surface more openly. Critics highlighted her awareness and the lack of a strong defense against involvement in the 1970 murder of Judge Harold Haley. [1] Despite her continued honors, no robust rebuttals emerged to counter these doubts. Mounting evidence challenges the assumption of her blamelessness, though the debate remains active and unresolved. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“Was Davis wholly unaware?”— How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?
Sources
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[1]
How Many Honors Has Angela Davis Received?reputable_journalism