And also unlike the others: Both were cleared of all charges against them at the end of the trial. Seale and Judge Hoffman were continuously at odds during the trial. Seale repeatedly asked to represent himself and was repeatedly refused by the judge (whom he subsequently called a “pig,” “fascist” and “racist”). After weeks of bickering, Judge Hoffman ordered federal marshals to bind and gag Seale during his appearances, a visual that stunned the country. The defendants — and their lawyers, William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) and Leonard Weinglass (Ben Shenkman) — openly defied Judge Hoffman in his courtroom.

Source: International New York Times October 16, 2020 22:30 UTC