Billy G. Mills
Encyclopedia
Billy G. Mills is a retired Los Angeles Superior Court judge and a former Los Angeles City Council member, serving from 1963 to 1974. He was one of the first three African-Americans elected to the council.
, the son of Roosevelt Mills of Marshall, Texas
, and Jenye Vive Mills, also of Texas. He went to A.J. Moore High School
in Waco, where he was captain
and quarterback
of the football team. A member of the debate
and declamation squad, he was named "Most Outstanding Student" in 1947. He moved to California after graduation and then received an associate in arts degree from Compton College and a bachelor of arts
degree from UCLA in 1951. He earned a law degree from UCLA in 1954, spent a year working at Douglas Aircraft and then was in the Army until 1957; he was assigned to legal duties in Japan. After his discharge, he became a deputy county probation officer
, and in 1960 began to practice law
. He ran unsuccessfully for a municipal judgeship in 1962.
He was married on June 20, 1953, to Rubye Maurine Jackson of Texarkana, Texas
. They had twin daughters, Karen and Karol, and two sons, Wiliam Karl and John Stewart. In 1966 they were living at 3621 Third Avenue in the Jefferson Park district.
Mills was elected to Los Angeles City Council District 8
in 1963, succeeding Gordon Hahn
. After the election, he noted that the "cheek has turned and now Caucasians will realize that you don't have to be white to represent whites."
He and Tom Bradley
were the next two blacks to serve on the Los Angeles City Council
, after Gilbert Lindsay, who had been appointed in the 9th District
in 1962. Lindsay was elected in his own right in 1964, so the three were the first blacks to be elected to the City Council. All three were reelected in 1967 and 1971.
In 1968 Mills ran unsuccessfully for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
, challenging the incumbent, Kenneth Hahn
.
in the riots and asked Mayor Yorty to issue an executive order
that would prevent Chief William H. Parker and other department heads from making public statements without clearing them first with the mayor or appropriate governing boards. He said the Los Angeles police were "rendered totally inept" after the rioting had started.
On September 8, 1965, Mills "directed" Chief Parker to appear before him "in person" to explain a raid on a Black Muslim mosque the preceding August 18, in which nineteen people were arrested and all were freed by a judge, citing lack of evidence. Parker declined to comply. Mills' action, according to a news report, was "in keeping with his persistent opposition to the chief." Mills was the only council member who did not vote in favor of a council resolution commending Parker and the department for their work during the disturbances. He said he would have voted in favor if the resolution had it not named Parker and had it not "excused" the police for all their actions.
The councilman said he had information that the mosque raid was "deliberately provoked" by false phone calls that Negroes were carrying guns into the building. He was critical of heavy police gunfire and claimed that the officers "were trying to destroy" two buildings on the property. Deputy Police Chief Thomas Reddin
responded that "large-scale force was necessary to overcome large-scale resistance." Millls later submitted a report suggesting that a fire set inside the mosque could have been done by police as an act of "hostility."
that were held after the riots. He said they were "attempts to justify the shooting of elderly citizens, unarmed youths and innocent bystanders." Twenty-six of the riot deaths were ruled justifiable homicide
, one was accidental and five were criminal.
, also a Negro. After the vote, Mills called for the defeat of former movie star and television actor Ronald Reagan
, who was running for governor as a Republican
bench, effective immediately. Mills said he had never supported Reagan politically but had been "on friendly terms with him for years" and that Reagan had appointed him to the California Council on Criminal Justice in 1972. Mills did support President Richard M. Nixon during the 1972 campaign. Mills had been suggested for the Superior Court position by the black caucus in the California Legislature.
Biography
Mills was born on November 19, 1929, in Waco, TexasWaco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, the son of Roosevelt Mills of Marshall, Texas
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
, and Jenye Vive Mills, also of Texas. He went to A.J. Moore High School
A.J. Moore Academy
Alfred James Moore Academy is a magnet high school in the Waco ISD district in Waco, TX. A.J. Moore is designed to prepare students for success in post secondary education and in the workplace. Students are prepared to excel academically, physically and socially...
in Waco, where he was captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
of the football team. A member of the debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
and declamation squad, he was named "Most Outstanding Student" in 1947. He moved to California after graduation and then received an associate in arts degree from Compton College and a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from UCLA in 1951. He earned a law degree from UCLA in 1954, spent a year working at Douglas Aircraft and then was in the Army until 1957; he was assigned to legal duties in Japan. After his discharge, he became a deputy county probation officer
Probation officer
Parole officers and probation officers play a role in criminal justice systems by supervising offenders released from incarceration or sentenced to non-custodial sanctions such as community service...
, and in 1960 began to practice law
Attorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
. He ran unsuccessfully for a municipal judgeship in 1962.
He was married on June 20, 1953, to Rubye Maurine Jackson of Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
. They had twin daughters, Karen and Karol, and two sons, Wiliam Karl and John Stewart. In 1966 they were living at 3621 Third Avenue in the Jefferson Park district.
Elections
See also List of Los Angeles municipal elections, 1963 and after.Mills was elected to Los Angeles City Council District 8
Los Angeles City Council District 8
Los Angeles City Council District 8 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council, covering much of South Los Angeles. The current council member is Bernard C. Parks....
in 1963, succeeding Gordon Hahn
Gordon Hahn
Gordon R. Hahn was a member of the Los Angeles City Council and California State Assembly in the mid-20th Century.While on the council, he cast the decisive vote that brought the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles and was instrumental in the appointment of Gilbert Lindsay, who became the first...
. After the election, he noted that the "cheek has turned and now Caucasians will realize that you don't have to be white to represent whites."
He and Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley (politician)
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
were the next two blacks to serve on the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
, after Gilbert Lindsay, who had been appointed in the 9th District
Los Angeles City Council District 9
Los Angeles City Council District 9 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council. The Ninth District encompasses the western section of Downtown Los Angeles and much of South Los Angeles. The current council member is Jan Perry....
in 1962. Lindsay was elected in his own right in 1964, so the three were the first blacks to be elected to the City Council. All three were reelected in 1967 and 1971.
In 1968 Mills ran unsuccessfully for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the five-member nonpartisan governing board of Los Angeles County, California. Members of the board of supervisors are elected by district. They were as of December 2, 2008:*District 1: Gloria Molina...
, challenging the incumbent, Kenneth Hahn
Kenneth Hahn
Kenneth "Kenny" Hahn was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for forty years, from 1952 to 1992. Hahn was on the Los Angeles City Council from 1947 to 1952. He was an ardent supporter of civil rights throughout the 1960s, and met Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1961.-Biography:Hahn...
.
Highlights
- Yorty. Even though Mills had supported Mayor Sam Yorty in the 1965 election against James RooseveltJames RooseveltJames Roosevelt was the oldest son of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was a United States Congressman, an officer in the United States Marine Corps, an aide to his father, the official Secretary to the President, a Democratic Party activist, and a businessman.-Early life:Roosevelt was...
, once Mills was elected, Yorty "bitterly assailed" the new councilman's spending on new furnishings for his City Hall and district offices. The mayor turned down Mills' "latest request—$126 for a 'reverse' telephone directory." Mills replied that his offices had been neglected in the past and there was some "catching up" to do. After Yorty vetoed additional expenditures for Mills's office three months later, Mills said of the mayor: "After many years of public office, his prejudices are beginning to show. This man's sanity is . . . in question."
- Police. In April 1964 Mills maintained that he had been stopped by the police seventeen times since the preceding July because he was "spotted driving a city car at night." He declined to label the incidents as "mistreatment." Mayor Yorty said he thought that Mills's statement was "exaggerated" and that it was not factual, adding: "If he was stopped once I'd be surprised."
Meeting
On Wednesday evening, August 11, 1965, a large-scale civil disturbance broke out in the Watts district of Los Angeles and spread within a few days to other parts of the city. Thirty -four people were killed, 1,032 injured, and 3,438 arrested. It was the most severe riot in the city's history to that time. Mills called a meeting of community and "indigenous" leaders in the City Council chambers on Saturday morning "to hear comments from anyone connected with the disturbances so city officials can begin getting at the causes of the riots." Staff writer Paul Beck of the Los Angeles Times, reported:Mills' decision to hold the meeting came in the face of warnings from other councilmen that it could cause serious problems and do no good in calming those involved. . . . "I can imagine the drapes being torn down and the furniture slashed," said Councilman John C. HollandJohn C. HollandJohn C. Holland was one of the longest-serving Los Angeles City Council members, for 24 years from 1943 to 1967, and was known for his losing fight against bringing the Los Angeles Dodgers to Chavez Ravine and for his reputation as a watchdog over the city treasury.-Biography:Holland was born...
."
Police probe
Mills demanded an investigation of the role of the Los Angeles Police DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
in the riots and asked Mayor Yorty to issue an executive order
Executive order
An executive order in the United States is an order issued by the President, the head of the executive branch of the federal government. In other countries, similar edicts may be known as decrees, or orders in council. Executive orders may also be issued at the state level by a state's governor or...
that would prevent Chief William H. Parker and other department heads from making public statements without clearing them first with the mayor or appropriate governing boards. He said the Los Angeles police were "rendered totally inept" after the rioting had started.
On September 8, 1965, Mills "directed" Chief Parker to appear before him "in person" to explain a raid on a Black Muslim mosque the preceding August 18, in which nineteen people were arrested and all were freed by a judge, citing lack of evidence. Parker declined to comply. Mills' action, according to a news report, was "in keeping with his persistent opposition to the chief." Mills was the only council member who did not vote in favor of a council resolution commending Parker and the department for their work during the disturbances. He said he would have voted in favor if the resolution had it not named Parker and had it not "excused" the police for all their actions.
The councilman said he had information that the mosque raid was "deliberately provoked" by false phone calls that Negroes were carrying guns into the building. He was critical of heavy police gunfire and claimed that the officers "were trying to destroy" two buildings on the property. Deputy Police Chief Thomas Reddin
Thomas Reddin
Thomas Reddin was a Los Angeles Police Department chief from 1967 to 1969. He left May 6, 1969, to become a news commentator...
responded that "large-scale force was necessary to overcome large-scale resistance." Millls later submitted a report suggesting that a fire set inside the mosque could have been done by police as an act of "hostility."
Inquests
Mills was critical of the coroner's inquestsInquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
that were held after the riots. He said they were "attempts to justify the shooting of elderly citizens, unarmed youths and innocent bystanders." Twenty-six of the riot deaths were ruled justifiable homicide
Justifiable homicide
The United States' concept of justifiable homicide in criminal law stands on the dividing line between an excuse, justification and an exculpation. It is different from other forms of homicide in that due to certain circumstances the homicide is justified as preventing greater harm to innocents...
, one was accidental and five were criminal.
Democratic Party
By a three-vote margin, Mills in 1966 was elected the first black chairman of the Democratic County Central Committee over fellow Councilman Tom BradleyTom Bradley (politician)
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
, also a Negro. After the vote, Mills called for the defeat of former movie star and television actor Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, who was running for governor as a Republican
Superior Court
On April 3, 1974, Governor Reagan appointed Mills to the Superior CourtSuperior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
bench, effective immediately. Mills said he had never supported Reagan politically but had been "on friendly terms with him for years" and that Reagan had appointed him to the California Council on Criminal Justice in 1972. Mills did support President Richard M. Nixon during the 1972 campaign. Mills had been suggested for the Superior Court position by the black caucus in the California Legislature.