Rugby Demonstration Legal Papers, 1981-1988

Extent:

0.5 cubic ft.

Scope and content:

This series includes copies of police investigation reports, court papers, testimony, and photocopies of newspaper articles. The legal documents stem from the demonstration organized by various groups against the rugby game scheduled for September 22, 1981 between the South African national rugby team and the American all-star rugby team. The bulk of the documents relates to the arrests of Vera Michelson, Aaron Estes, John Spearman and Michael Young on September 21, 1981. The police surveillance records and the court documents were obtained by CD-CAAR through the Freedom of Information Act. The police surveillance documents come from the Albany Police Department, Albany's Police Court and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The records include proposed plans for security at the anti-apartheid demonstration, police reports, photocopies of articles regarding groups expected to participate in the demonstration, arrest reports, court arraignment papers and investigation reports. The court records are from Albany's Police Court, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York and the State of New York Supreme Court Appellate Division. The records include some correspondence, papers for the case of the People versus Vera Michelson, Aaron Estes, and Michael Young, testimony in the government's unsuccessful case against Michael Young and John Spearman, and a motion to suppress evidence involving Michelson and Estes. The court records also include papers involving the successful case launched by Michelson and CD-CAAR in 1982 against named and unnamed officials in the FBI, New York State Police, Albany County District Attorney and Assistant District Attorneys, Albany County, Albany Police Officers and the City of Albany. The court records also include documents relating to a 1988 appeal to the Federal Court of Appeals pertaining to the civil case started by Vera Michelson and CD-CAAR in 1982.

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