Caryl Chessman

Caryl Whittier Chessman (May 27, 1921 – May 2, 1960) was an American criminal who gained international notoriety as a death row inmate in California. Convicted of a series of crimes including kidnapping and sexual assault in the infamous Red Light Bandit case, Chessman's prolonged appeals and literary efforts made him a symbol of the death penalty debate in the mid-20th century where the political left openly advocated for leniency for the most vicious and violent individuals.

Early Life

Caryl Chessman was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, and moved to Glendale, California with his family during his childhood. His early life was marked by frequent encounters with law enforcement, beginning with minor thefts and escalating to more serious offenses. By his early twenties, Chessman had become entrenched in criminal activities, leading to multiple incarcerations.

The Red Light Bandit

Chessman was arrested in January 1948 and later convicted as the so-called "Red Light Bandit," a criminal who used a red police light to trap and rob motorists and commit sexual assaults. The case hinged on testimony from victims and the discovery of stolen goods in his possession. In 1948, Chessman was convicted on 17 counts, including two counts of kidnapping with bodily harm, a charge that under California law at the time, carried a mandatory death sentence. Chessman's prosecutor was J. Miller Leavy.

Death Row, Appeals, Appeal to the Public's Sympathies

Chessman's time on death row was marked by a series of appeals and stays of execution, which extended his life by over a decade. His case drew significant public attention due to the platform given to him to argue against his own punishment by the mainstream media. Chessman wrote four books while in prison, including the autobiographical "Cell 2455, Death Row," which detailed his experiences and arguments against the death penalty. His writing and legal battles became a focal point in the broader discussion about capital punishment and the rights of the accused. Most of Chessman's arguments were that society owed him a better upbringing, and that he had a rough childhood, and that he simply needed to be rehabilitated through education and training. Chessman also offered the same tired argument that the death penalty is simply vengeance.

Last Minute Legal Drama

Chessman's attorneys, George Davis, Dayton Harrington and Rosalie Asher, had received three negative rulings from the California Supreme Court when they decided to petition the federal court to try and grant a stay on the execution. They sought relief with the U.S. Supreme Court but were turned down by Justice William O. Douglas. They went to the chambers of Judge Louis E. Goodman for relief. The clerk for Goodman mis-dialed the phone for the prison granting a short stay in the execution, the call arriving too late. By the time the secretary got through to the prison, the prison had already carried out the execution.

Execution

Despite his efforts, Caryl Chessman was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison on May 2, 1960. He was pronounced dead at 10:12am. His execution was met with protests and appeals for clemency, reflecting the media's glamorization of the case.

Legacy

Caryl Chessman's case left a lasting impact on the public perception of the death penalty and the criminal justice system.

Part of the argument that came out of the Chessman case is that 'non-lethal' crimes should not be punished with capital punishment. This is a major mischaracterization of the death penalty as being a form of retribution and needing a kind of equivalence between the crime and the punishment.

This also had the effect of ending, intellectually on the left at least, the concept that someone should face the death penalty for violent rape and assault crimes.

Chessman has been memorialized in a variety of far left pop culture references such as songs, plays, and programs.

Bibliography

Chessman, Caryl. Cell 2455, Death Row. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1954. ISBN 978-1125945196.
Chessman, Caryl. Trial by Ordeal. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1955. ISBN 978-1125945202.
Chessman, Caryl. The Face of Justice. New York: Pocket Books, 1957. ISBN 978-0671820603.
Chessman, Caryl. The Kid Was a Killer. New York: Pocket Books, 1960. ISBN 978-0671820610.

External Links

References

"Notorious California prisoner Chessman executed" – Reuters