U.S. District Judge John H. Wood was assassinated in San Antonio May 29, 1979, by Charles Harrelson. Newsweek (June 22, 1981). The pair wed in 2001 and share four children, but their political differences during the Trump administration took a toll on their relationship. Wood was shot in the back with a high-powered rifle while leaving his north San Antonio townhouse for work. Goodman made a six-hour final argument without a break. A portrait of Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr. hangs at the Federal Courthouse, Monday, August 7, 2017. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-magazines/charles-harrelson-trial-1982-83, "Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 Joseph Chagra, a Texas lawyer who admitted his complicity in the first assassination of a Federal judge in more than a century, died last Sunday in Thomason Hospital in El Paso. Elizabeth Chagra was convicted of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. According to the Jahns, Harrelson offered to kill people suspected of killing Jimmys older brother, attorney Lee Chagra, who was murdered in his El Paso law office two days before Christmas in 1978. Joseph Chagra pled guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit murder and received a sentence of ten years. He was 50. 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''I asked him if he was the one who murdered Judge Wood, and he said he was,'' Mr. Chagra testified in a San Antonio Federal Court. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Bikers and other street toughs were dragged in on hold-over charges. Federal District Judge William S. Sessions, who was a pallbearer at the slain judge's funeral and who, as chief judge in the district, appointed himself to preside in the case, said he would impose a sentence March 8, after the trial of Jamiel Chagra in Florida. WebThe Harrelson Center is a nonprofit campus that supports and partners with other nonprofit organizations in the Wilmington community to provide centralized services. US based Meghan and Harry.. FameChain has their amazing trees. Just after Judge Wood was killed, Joseph Chagra, then 31, said the slaying was the worst thing that could have happened to his other brother, Jamiel, 32, who was known as Jimmy. He believed in the law. He also agreed to testify against all co-defendants except his brother. She had then given the rifle to George Kay. Harrelson claimed to have killed 50 As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Jack Sheehan has been living and writing in Las Vegas for 40 years. Firefighters hoist horse stranded in backyard swimming pool. She recovered quickly and later said she was fine. 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. Charles Campion, the attorney for Mrs. Harrelson, did not say whether she would appeal. He has said he is a key suspect in Wood's slaying on May 29, 1979. March 4 (UPI) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made a rare visit to frontline troops in Ukraine on Saturday as Kyiv's grip on the embattled city of Bakhmut appeared to be slipping. Charles Harrelson's son, the actor Woody Harrelson, later supported a motion for a retrial, based on both the inadequacy of the original defense and the federal government's methods of gathering evidence. May 29, 1979: Wood was shot to death outside his San Antonio condo. Jo Ann Harrelson, whose daughter has been imprisoned more than three months for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury, walked away from the federal courthouse in San Antonio without being held in contempt. 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. Once he paid off a cocktail waitress $50,000 mortgage when he heard she was raising three kids on her own. In 1995, he appeared as himself in the movie, Casino.. He asked if he should have Judge Wood killed. However, U.S. District Judge William S. Sessions ordered the hearing continued at a later date, indicating Mrs. Harrelson still faces possible imprisonment. But it also spotlighted allegations that federal investigators and prosecutors treaded on constitutional rights such as attorney-client and marital privilege and the secret recording of private conversations. To cut costs, Amazon delays completion of second headquarters, closes retail stores. He enjoyed a high-rolling lifestyle at Caesars Palace and Binions Horseshoe but he was not a very good gambler. Harrelson said that Kay had about $135,000 of the payoff money delivered to him by Elizabeth Chagra as part of the scam. By Wayne King, Special To the New York Times. The government also taped other conversations, including some between Charles Harrelson and his attorney, and others between Joseph and Jamiel Chagra. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, carrying a sentence of up to life in prison; murder of a Federal judge, mandatory life, and conspiracy to obstruct justice, up to five years. Thursday, May 28: Oscar's "Case of the Century": The Life Defendants: Charles Voyde Harrelson, Jo Ann Starr Harrelson, Elizabeth Chagra, Jamiel ChagraCrimes Charged: Charles Harrelson: conspiracy to murder; murder of a federal judge; conspiracy to obstruct justice. WHEN FIFTY-YEAR-OLD JOE CHAGRA flipped his Toyota Landcruiser on Interstate 10 west of El Paso in December, killing himself and two passengers, it was a sad final chapter in the life of a man best known as one of the conspirators in the 1979 murder of San Antonio federal judge John Wood. But the Partner benefit with the greatest impact to us and our families is being within arms reach of so many other amazing nonprofits and the Harrelson Center team. 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. Jo Ann Harrelson was convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and later convicted of five counts of perjury. "It's a safe wonderful environment for all those charities to be located in. Chagra was let out on bail and he disappeared. The Harrelson Center | Our Mission The trial grew out of one of the largest FBI investigations in history, taking three years and over $5 million. Another juror collapsed in her chair after the verdict was read and had to be helped from the courtroom. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. The Harrelson Center | Home On Feb. 26, 1979, he was indicted on five counts of trafficking in marijuana and cocaine. . By that time the FBI investigation into the judges assassination was more than two years old. Almost immediately, investigators turned to Mr. Chagra's plush law offices. The evidence gathered against Harrelson was somewhat tenuous, and included testimony from Joseph Chagra in return for a reduced sentence, and a letter from Elizabeth Chagra that claimed she had delivered money to Harrelson as a payoff for the murder. March 3 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Louisiana boy with a firm grasp of baseball rules is seeking a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest umpire. On May 29, 1979, Wood was shot dead in the parking lot outside his San Antonio townhouse. WebJo Ann Harrelson's in laws: All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. He was sentenced to two life sentences. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Eventually, the evidence pointed to Harrelson, in particular a taped conversation Chagra had with another brother who was a lawyer, Joe Chagra, in Leavenworth federal prison about the assassination. As a result, people used him. You know Harrelson knocked off the judge, Jimmy told him. Mr. Chagra returned to El Paso in 1988 from a Federal prison in Stafford, Ariz., where he had served six and a half years of a 10-year sentence for conspiracy. Harrelson, 69, died of a heart attack in March 2007 in a federal maximum-security prison in Colorado. Even though every partner is Chagras operation had links to the Patriarca crime family in New England. But Chagra and Harrelson werent immediate suspects, and it took thousands of man-hours before they were identified as such. See the article in its original context from. 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. Thats how one former friend described the convicted killer. The feds indicted Jimmy Chagra, Charles Harrelson, Joe Chagra, Liz Chagra and Jo Ann Harrelson in the judges murder. Liz got a 30-year sentence. Jamiel Chagra's trial moved to Jacksonville, Florida. Wood died in 1979 when he was assassinated by Charles Harrelson. A portrait of Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr. hangs at the Federal Courthouse. The Center works with its partners to meet the needs of the community in areas such as safe and affordable housing, education, employment, health care and family support. separate, there is cohesiveness. 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. On This Day: Frances Perkins sworn in as first female Cabinet member. Moving to the Harrelson Center has been pivotal to our growth. Jimmy Chagra was released from federal prison in 2003 and entered the witness-protection program. The only other person in the world who knew that Harrelson did the hit on Judge Wood was Jimmy, who ordered it. March 3 (UPI) -- A sheep spotted wandering loose on a British highway was given a lift back to its owner by a concerned bus driver on her first day on the job. After the verdict, Mr. Harrelson said, ''It's just a necessary step in the progression of things.'' In his testimony, Mr. Harrelson said he was ''set up'' by George Edward (Pete) Kay, another gambler. On March 4, 1933, Frances Perkins was sworn in as U.S. labor secretary, becoming the first female member of the Cabinet. Talented With Cards. Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. The jury started deliberating on Feb. 3, 1983. '', It was at a pretrial hearing on April 2, 1979, as he listened to Judge Wood deny a score of defense motions, that Jamiel Chagra turned to Joseph Salim Chagra, his brother and attorney, and said, according to Joseph Chagra's testimony later, ''that he was never going to have a fair trial and if I thought he should have Judge Wood killed.''. To provide a humanitarian services campus of nonprofit organizations that offer hope, opportunity, and empowerment. After 18 hours of deliberation, a Federal jury, several members in tears, found three defendants guilty today on six counts of planning, carrying out and trying to cover up the assassination of Federal District Judge John H. Wood Jr. After the collective verdicts were announced, each of the nine women and three men on the jury, which began deliberating Saturday, was polled individually on all six counts. March 3 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts library said a book was recently returned with a note apologizing for the tome being 56 years overdue. March 3 (UPI) -- At a White House meeting on Friday, President Joe Biden thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for Germany's "profound" help in countering Russian aggression in Ukraine. Judge Sessions gave Chagra only 10 additional years on his sentence, making him eligible for parole in 2007. She was previously convicted of using a The verdicts concluded an 11-week trial that grew out of one of the most extensive Federal investigations in the nation's history, involving every one of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 54 offices in the United States at varying times over more than three years. Judge Woods 1979 slaying by Charles Harrelson was crime of the century, San Antonio Zoo has a long but spotty history with giraffes. He was a cheat, he was a con man and he was a murderer. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. However, there was no physical evidence and investigators had to rely on circumstantial evidence and informants. Five months later Wood was dead, slain May 29, 1979, on his way to work. Jamiel Chagra: separate trial on murder, conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to obstruct justice; drug conspiracy and trafficking charges; separate indictment on income tax evasionChief Defense Lawyers: Charles Harrelson: Thomas G. Sharpe, Jr.; Jo Ann Harrelson: Charles Champion; Elizabeth Chagra: Warren Burnett; Jamiel Chagra: Oscar B. GoodmanChief Prosecutor: Ray JahnJudge: William SessionsPlaces: Charles Harrelson: San Antonio, Texas. The assassination came at the height of a Justice Department campaign to slow the flow of illicit drugs across the Mexican border. Jo Ann Harrelson, whose daughter has been imprisoned more than three months for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury, walked away from the federal 'She has reached a point where the evidence is up to her ears and she's floundering in it. The Unfair Trial Of A Confessed Outlaw - Medium He gave us details that only he knew, Ray Jahn said. (Original Caption) A Federal jury found co-defendents Jo Ann Harrelson (L) and Elizabeth Chagra (R) guilty of charges Joe Chagra ended She said she had not believed him. One of his many screenplays details the life of notorious drug smuggler Jimmy Chagra. March 3 (UPI) -- In a cost-saving move, retail giant Amazon announced Friday that it will delay construction on a planned second corporate headquarters dubbed "HQ2" in Arlington, Va. President Joe Biden thanks German chancellor for his nation's help in Ukraine. Jimmy was upset about that because he thought it put him under suspicion right away, Ray Jahn said. Jo Ann Starr Harrelson: conspiracy to obstruct justice. The Chagras said they were convinced that Judge Wood, who was scheduled to preside over Jimmy's case, had a bias against them. "Three Are Found Guilty of Assassination of Federal Judge." Joseph Chagra accepted a plea bargain. Harrelson claimed that he was set up. This is not a happy story for anybody. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. There was a lot of internal pressure.. 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 gun rap seemed routine until Harrelson was arrested following a cocaine-induced standoff near Van Horn, at which time his motive became clear. On Express-News.com: Judge Sarah Garrahan-Moulder, who helped prosecute hit man Charles Harrelson in San Antonio, dies at 84. But do note that it is not possible to be certain of a person's genealogy without a family's cooperation (and/or DNA testing). The casinos loved him, of course, and their dealers loved him, too, because he was a big tipper. Joseph testified as well against his own sister-in-law Elizabeth Chagra, and Harrelson's wife, Jo Ann. Jo Ann Harrelson: guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice, perjury. Harrelson had been a suspect, but so had several others. 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. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. They did a full-court press. The defendants were charged under Federal statutes governing the killing of a Federal employee. March 4 (UPI) -- Three children are dead and two others remain hospitalized Saturday after a domestic incident in a North Texas town, authorities said. But they would have had leaves on them at the time of the murder, rendering the witness testimony not credible. Bobby Harrelson said it best in Crazy Like A Fox, an article in Wilmington Magazine. "Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 He set up his family on a farm in Kansas. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. The seven-woman, five-man federal jury returned guilty verdicts on five counts of perjury after deliberating 2 hours. Midland was in the jurisdiction of U.S. District Judge John Wood, known as Maximum John for his tough prison sentences in drug cases. Joe had no idea he was being pulled into the Wood conspiracyor even that there was a conspiracywhen Charles Harrelson hired him to represent him on an old gun charge in Harris County in February 1980. See the article in its original context from. Tips poured in. Russian defense minister visits front lines as Ukraine's hold on Bakhmut slips. I know, of course, that on the witness stand Joe testified that he counseled his brother Jimmy to order the hit, and I know he did time in federal prison. His court-appointed attorney, Thomas G. Sharpe, who defended him on two previous murder-for-hire charges, one ending in acquittal and the other in a 15-year sentence, said the verdict would be appealed. "Foster Pantry moved on campus in May 2021 after joining the Harrelson Center initially as an Associate Partner in 2019. He was serving a 30-year sentence there that he received on the drug charge that was to be tried before Judge Wood. After Monday's conviction, Sessions said he would be forced to postpone the March 18 sentencing in San Antonio of Mrs. Harrelson, her husband Charles and Mrs. Chagra for the earlier convictions. But in the interviews, Chagra described himself as a megalomaniac.. The bug picked up Chagra talking with his wife and brother Joe about the judges murder. Joe Chagra ended up serving 6 years of his 10-year sentence, and he died in a car crash in El Paso in 1996 after his release. Crimes Charged: First-degree murder an, Murder Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? At least 5 dead following year's first severe spring weather outbreak. 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. Charles Harrelson arrives at Federal Court 11-8-82 for his trial in the slaying of federal judge Wood. Goodman is one of the nations best criminal defense attorneys and was named one of the 15 Best Trial Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. The UK's supply crisis puts extra pressure on Prime Minister Boris. Meanwhile, the drug trial was held before Woods replacement, U.S. District Judge William Sessions. 3 children killed, 2 hospitalized in North Texas domestic incident. Leave them blank to get signed up. Joseph Chagra refused to testify against his own brother Jamiel (Jimmy), however. '', The fear, the Government asserted, was that of Jamiel Chagra, once described on an F.B.I. Elizabeth Chagra: conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice; separate indictment on income tax evasion. 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. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Jack Sheehan calls him the Pablo Escobar of weed. 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. From start to finish, I was treated with kindness and dignity. Lee considered Joe his property and took what he wanted, including Joes first serious girlfriend. The trial is separate because Joseph Chagra, in exchange for a lighter sentence, made a deal with the Government to testify against all the defendants except his brother. Support is In his testimony over more than five days on the witness stand, Mr. Harrelson said he had gone to lure Jamiel Chagra into a crooked card game. Harrelson was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years, while Jo Ann Harrelson got a combined 25 years for obstruction of justice. Since arriving, our vision has become reality. Judge Wood hated my brother Lee so much that he wanted a Chagra any way he could get him, Chagra said, according to a clip of the interviews posted on the internet. He has published 21 books and screenplays, including many on Las Vegas history and historical figures. The three had risen from an unremarkable middle-class upbringing to live among El Paso's wealthiest residents. Lee, his eldest brother, brought Joe into his law partnership largely to enhance his own self-esteem as patrn of the Chagra family. 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. Mr. Chagra was one of three sons of a Lebanese rug merchant who had emigrated from Mexico to El Paso. ", - Kim Ceasar, Executive Director, Soaring As Eagles, "The Harrelson Center changes the lives of people in amazing ways. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. A short time later, Joe was arrested and held without bail, as were Jo Ann Harrelson and Liz Chagra, Jimmys wife, who was heard on another wiretap talking about delivering the payoff money. Jo Ann Harrelson was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice.