John still fighting Immigration

The suit John wore this day.  

 August 30, 1974 

Every documentary I have watched that discusses John's immigration fight, never talks about this court date where he arrived at court with Leon Wildes and without Yoko.   But here he is -- in 1974 -- during the Lost Weekend era still fighting to stay in the United States. 

Their day in Court

March 18, 1969 - George and Pattie in court 
 

Another Day in court

 November 28. 1968 

Sad day for Cyn

 November 8, 1968

Cynthia Lennon at court on the day her divorce from John Lennon became final.   Divorce is sad no matter who is involved.   I just just sense the sadness on Cyn's face even though she is staying strong for the media. 

Their Day in Court

October 19, 1968

Fans took advantage of John and Yoko's court date for an opportunity to see them.   Yoko looks scared.  
 

Watergate audience

June 29, 1973 - How many people were in court that day to watch the Watergate hearings, and how many were there to watch John and Yoko?   Also, how life has changed!  Can you imagine someone lighting a cigarette inside a courthouse?  
  

The most notorious day in divorce court

March 17, 2008 -  Paul's lawyer did not have good luck on St. Patrick's day in 2008.  During the divorce court proceedings, Heather Mills dumped a water pitcher over her head.    Heather said that she had heard the lawyer say something under her breath, and she simply "snapped"  and dumped the jug over her head.  

The mystery seeds

 

PAUL McCartney and his wife, Linda, emerge from Campbeltown Sheriff Court in March 1 1973, after a £100 fine had been imposed on him. He had pleaded guilty to knowingly cultivating five cannabis plants in a greenhouse on his 500-acre High Park Farm, a few miles from the town. The former Beatle told waiting reporters that he was pleased with the outcome and that it could have been worse. “I was planning on writing a few songs in jail,” he conceded. “It would have been all right as long as I had a guitar.” 

Divorce Court

 

February 14, 2008 -  It wasn't a good Valentine's Day for Paul in 2008 (or for me -- worst Valentines Day ever that year) because he spent the day in court for his divorce from Heather Mills. 

The Trial of the Harlem Six

Photo by Erik Calonius

 On January 11, 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono attended a court hearing for the "Harlem Six."   In 1964, Hungarian clothing shop owners were stabbed with one of them killed during the attack.  Six Black teenagers (known as the Harlem Six) were tried and convicted of the attack.    Because they were Black, an old law was used to appoint them legal council and not allow them to get their own lawyer to defend them.   They said that who the court-appointed was racist and did not have their best interest at heart.  They also said that they were regularly beaten by the prison guards, who would stop the elevator just to beat the boys to try to get them to confess.   A new trial was allowed and that is where John and Yoko enter into this story.  

John told the New York Times the reason they were there was that "Racism is a hard thing for whites to understand.  It takes a lot to open our eyes, but I see it now because I'm married to a Japanese."

One of the other reporters in the courthouse that day was  Erik Calonius.   He had seen the Beatles in concert in 1965 at Shea Stadium.  He was a journalism student at the time and was randomly assigned the job of covering the trial.   As he looked around, he spotted John, Yoko and Abbie Hoffman.  No one else seemed to have noticed them at first.   Erik had met Abbie Hoffman previously and spoke to him a bit.  This also gave him the opportunity to talk to John.    They talked a bit about the trial.    During a recess in the trial, Erik took out his small camera and snapped one photo (see the first photo above).  

By the time the trial had ended for that day, the word had spread and John and Yoko found themselves holding an impromptu press conference for various newspapers and TV cameras.   Erik stood back and watched -- he was pleased that he got to meet a Beatle.

The information came from:

https://medium.com/@stevemarinucci/previously-unreleased-1972-john-lennon-photo-shows-him-as-courtroom-observer-c19e676d8da5

The Harlem Six Wikipedia page

Strange Days Indeed by Chip Madinger and Scott Raile

Courtroom drama

Photo was taken by Erik Calonius

This photo shows John as he leaves the courtroom after watching the trial for the murder of  Margit Sugar on January 12, 1972.     A journalism student named Erik Calonius was lucky enough to be assigned to report on the trial when John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Abbie Hoffman showed up unexpectedly to watch the goings-on.    Calonius spoke to John briefly about the case and snapped this photo of him after court that day.

Steve Marinucci has written an article about this, which is well worth reading.

https://medium.com/@stevemarinucci/previously-unreleased-1972-john-lennon-photo-shows-him-as-courtroom-observer-c19e676d8da5?fbclid=IwAR18YzWVarhlIwv4oGuPhya2Zcar4KW0t0te_XxMj3riloui8A7ksXg8fU8

A couple in court

Going Crazy at the Court house

Roots vs. Rock n Roll

Article found in "With a Little Help From my Friends"
April 1976


A District Court in New York has dismissed a suit by Big Seven Music  and Adam VIII Ltd. claiming rights to John's album "Roots," which Morris Levy, president of Big Seven and Adam VIII, had claimed John made a verbal contract with him for distribution by mail order and through retail centers of the album of rock & roll songs.  What really happened was that Levy, in talking to John, casually mentioned, "this would be a great album for TV."   John remembers replying "something about putting it out" - thus Levy claims he made a verbal agreement offering Levy the record to market.   John says he didn't.  Actually it ain't exactly legal for John to offer an album to anyone other than Apple, Capitol or EMI anyway.  

John testifies in court.  Photo by Bob Gruen

The trial over this was a tedious one.  Levy's attorney threw in all sorts of ridiculous points..."Isn't it a fact that you cut your hair for purposes of this trial?"  (what does THAT have to do with the suit over "Roots?")  John replied, "Rubbish--I cut it every 18 months!"   At one point Levy's attorney "casually" inspected a copy of "Two Virgins" with naked John on the cover in front of the jurors.  A mistrial was declared, after which the attorney asked John to autograph the album!

At one point John said that the tapes he'd given Levy were inferior quality rough cuts and weren't intended for album pressings anyway, so Levy's attorney hauled a little portable stereo of his daughter's to play bot Roots and Rock n Roll for the judge.  The first cut  played was "Be Bop a Lula" and it sounded on that record played like "Louie Louie" gone berserk!   Eventually it was discovered that it'd been played at 45rpm instead of 33!  The judge declared the record player inoperative and went to his law clerk's office to listen to the records.  Finally, after 15 days, the judge ruled (with no jury due to the mistrial) that there had been a tentative verbal agreement between John and Levy but that John had entered into it "not as a free agent"; he couldn't make deals independent of Capitol and EMI.  John said about the whole thing, "The reason I fought this was to discourage ridiculous suits like this.  THey didn't think I'd show or that I'd fight it.  They thought I'd just settle, but I won't."  That's telling 'em, Lennon!

Busted peeking

Here George and Pattie are at their court day for their pot bust.   I have always thought that Pattie just looked stunning on this day.   But what do we spot?   A fan who is busted for peeking at the famous couple.

Court Date

This is a photo taken from when Ringo took the people behind his 1987 album that he recorded in Memphis to court so that the album would not be released.   I wonder what that bailiff was thinking about swearing Ringo Starr in.