Charles Kaufman (judge)
Encyclopedia
Charles Kaufman was a judge for the Third Circuit Court
of Michigan
, with jurisdiction over Southeast Michigan and its largest city, Detroit, MI. He is most widely criticized for the light sentence imposed on Ronald Ebens
and Michael Nitz for the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin
, a Chinese American
who was beaten to death with a baseball bat after a fight that carried racial overtones.
After the war, Kaufman graduated from Wayne State University
Law School in 1948, and joined his father's firm before winning the election for Common Pleas Court Judge in 1959, and Wayne County Third Circuit Court of Michigan in 1964 where he served for 30 years. He also was a candidate for the First District of the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1968 and 1982, and a Michigan State Supreme Court candidate in 1976.
male, Greg Mathis
, was arrested on a concealed-weapons charge, Judge Kaufman handed a sentence of probation
, provided that Mathis enrolled and passed a GED
course in six months. Mathis turned away from gang behavior, and in 1994, he went on to become the youngest judge elected to the 36th District Court
in Detroit, eventually becoming a popular television personality as Judge Mathis
.
Judge Kaufman's most infamous decision, however, was the sentence of three years probation and $3,780 in fines and court costs given to former Chrysler
plant superintendent Ronald Ebens
and his stepson Michael Nitz on March 16, 1983 for the murder of Vincent Chin
. Asian American advocacy groups were outraged not only because Ebens had viciously beaten Chin in the head with a baseball bat, but also because the act was seen as the hate crime
of a laid-off American autoworker taking out his frustration about the Japanese automobile industry on an innocent person, even though Ebens was still employed by Chrysler at the time of the attack.
Citing the judge's POW record as one of several reasons to invalidate the lenient sentence in favor of a more stringent punishment, advocacy groups unsuccessfully tried to vacate the original sentence. Kaufman cited the defendants' clean prior criminal records and that there was no minimum sentence for a manslaughter plea as he responded, "These weren't the kind of men you send to jail... You don't make the punishment fit the crime; you make the punishment fit the criminal." Kaufman's sentence was upheld as valid and final, due to the Fifth Amendment
protection against double jeopardy
, and the advocacy groups shifted their efforts toward a Federal prosecution for the violation of Vincent Chin's civil rights. This would also prove ultimately unsuccessful after an appeal and retrial of Ebens' original 1984 Federal conviction resulted in acquittal, and Judge Kaufman would be singled out for blame in creating what most people would call a miscarriage of justice
, but is more precisely, an error of impunity, with Nitz, and especially Ebens, receiving a punishment that was less than socially optimal.
Judge Kaufman later retired from the Third Circuit Court, and died in 2004.
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, with jurisdiction over Southeast Michigan and its largest city, Detroit, MI. He is most widely criticized for the light sentence imposed on Ronald Ebens
Ronald Ebens
Ronald Madis Ebens, with his stepson, Michael Nitz, as an accomplice, fatally beat Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, on June 23, 1982. This led to a federal indictment for violating Vincent Chin's civil rights, but only after public outrage at the probationary sentence and small fine imposed by...
and Michael Nitz for the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin
Vincent Chin
Vincent Jen Chin was a Chinese American beaten to death in June 1982 in the United States, in the Detroit, Michigan enclave of Highland Park by Chrysler plant superintendent Ronald Ebens, with the help of his stepson, Michael Nitz...
, a Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
who was beaten to death with a baseball bat after a fight that carried racial overtones.
Early Biography
Born in 1920, Kaufman served as a navigator for the Army Air Force during World War II. He became a POW (prisoner of war) in Japanese prison camp when his plane was shot down after 27 missions.After the war, Kaufman graduated from Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
Law School in 1948, and joined his father's firm before winning the election for Common Pleas Court Judge in 1959, and Wayne County Third Circuit Court of Michigan in 1964 where he served for 30 years. He also was a candidate for the First District of the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1968 and 1982, and a Michigan State Supreme Court candidate in 1976.
Third Circuit Court
During his tenure as Third Circuit Court Judge was known for leniency towards first time offenders. In 1977, when a 17-year old African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
male, Greg Mathis
Greg Mathis
Greg Mathis is a retired Michigan 36th District Court judge and syndicated television show judge. His show Judge Mathis is produced by Telepictures Productions, and distributed by Warner Brothers. It is seen five days a week in most television markets in North America...
, was arrested on a concealed-weapons charge, Judge Kaufman handed a sentence of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, provided that Mathis enrolled and passed a GED
GED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
course in six months. Mathis turned away from gang behavior, and in 1994, he went on to become the youngest judge elected to the 36th District Court
Michigan District Courts
District Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction in the State of Michigan. They were established by the State Legislature in Act 236 of 1961 to consolidate the functions of several courts of limited jurisdiction such as traffic courts and municipal courts...
in Detroit, eventually becoming a popular television personality as Judge Mathis
Judge Mathis
Judge Mathis is a syndicated television legal reality show produced originally by Black Pearl Productions. In 2008, it entered its tenth season produced by AND Syndicated Productions and Telepictures. It is taped at NBC Tower in Chicago, but includes cases and litigants from other U.S....
.
Judge Kaufman's most infamous decision, however, was the sentence of three years probation and $3,780 in fines and court costs given to former Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
plant superintendent Ronald Ebens
Ronald Ebens
Ronald Madis Ebens, with his stepson, Michael Nitz, as an accomplice, fatally beat Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, on June 23, 1982. This led to a federal indictment for violating Vincent Chin's civil rights, but only after public outrage at the probationary sentence and small fine imposed by...
and his stepson Michael Nitz on March 16, 1983 for the murder of Vincent Chin
Vincent Chin
Vincent Jen Chin was a Chinese American beaten to death in June 1982 in the United States, in the Detroit, Michigan enclave of Highland Park by Chrysler plant superintendent Ronald Ebens, with the help of his stepson, Michael Nitz...
. Asian American advocacy groups were outraged not only because Ebens had viciously beaten Chin in the head with a baseball bat, but also because the act was seen as the hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
of a laid-off American autoworker taking out his frustration about the Japanese automobile industry on an innocent person, even though Ebens was still employed by Chrysler at the time of the attack.
Citing the judge's POW record as one of several reasons to invalidate the lenient sentence in favor of a more stringent punishment, advocacy groups unsuccessfully tried to vacate the original sentence. Kaufman cited the defendants' clean prior criminal records and that there was no minimum sentence for a manslaughter plea as he responded, "These weren't the kind of men you send to jail... You don't make the punishment fit the crime; you make the punishment fit the criminal." Kaufman's sentence was upheld as valid and final, due to the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
protection against double jeopardy
Double jeopardy
Double jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same, or similar charges following a legitimate acquittal or conviction...
, and the advocacy groups shifted their efforts toward a Federal prosecution for the violation of Vincent Chin's civil rights. This would also prove ultimately unsuccessful after an appeal and retrial of Ebens' original 1984 Federal conviction resulted in acquittal, and Judge Kaufman would be singled out for blame in creating what most people would call a miscarriage of justice
Miscarriage of justice
A miscarriage of justice primarily is the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. The term can also apply to errors in the other direction—"errors of impunity", and to civil cases. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a wrongful...
, but is more precisely, an error of impunity, with Nitz, and especially Ebens, receiving a punishment that was less than socially optimal.
Judge Kaufman later retired from the Third Circuit Court, and died in 2004.