Aram Byer James Explained

Aram Byer James
Occupation:Civil rights attorney

Aram Byer James is a former Santa Clara County, CA Assistant Public Defender, police watchdog, social activist, and civil rights attorney.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] As an expert on the defense of necessity, he headed the team of attorneys defending Stanford University students and professors arrested in anti-apartheid protests in 1980’s.[11] [12] [13] He is an advocate of jury nullification, educator in the use of the Marsden Motion to fire ineffective public defenders, a critic of the prison industrial complex, and critic of police use of tasers and racial profiling.[14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

Notes and References

  1. Myths and Realities of Crime and Justice: What Every American Should Know, Steven Barkan, George Bryjak, p. 202,,
  2. Palo Alto chief approves profiling, ABC News, Friday, October 31, 2008
  3. Police watchdog threatens lawsuit, Bill D'Agostino, Palo Alto Weekly, Wednesday, April 6, 2005
  4. Public Eye: Judging the Judges http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/10.17.02/public-eye-0242.html, Metro Silicon Valley, 10-17-02
  5. Palo Alto police chief releases minutes of racial profiling meetings, Will Oremus, San Jose Mercury News, 02/18/2010
  6. Palo Alto may look outside department for new top cop, Will Oremus, San Jose Mercury News, 03/21/2009
  7. Poster eye-catching... when seen: Civil rights initiative, San Jose Mercury News, August 21, 1996, p. 1B
  8. Civil Disobedience and the Necessity Defense Vehicle Habitation Legal Fund, Mark Petersen-Perez, Palo Alto Free Press, May 29, 2013
  9. Palo Alto delays debate on vehicle-dwelling ban, Palo Alto Weekly, Jul 20, 2011
  10. Tales From A Trial, Raj Jayadev, Metro Silicon Valley, 1-16-2008
  11. 15 Stanford Protestors Jailed for Anti-Apartheid Sit-ins, San Jose Mercury News, 4-18-1986, 1B Local
  12. In re Weller (1985) 164 Cal. App. 3d 44 [210 Cal. Rptr. 130]
  13. James v. San Jose Mercury News, Inc. (1993), 17 Cal. App. 4th 1 [20 Cal. Rptr. 2d 890]
  14. Taser recommendation delayed - Instead, Task Force hears from Taser-sponsored doctor, ACLU, and activist Aram James, Becky Trout, Palo Alto Weekly, March 28, 2007
  15. Tasers:Are They a Viable Option?, East Palo Alto Today, May 3, 2011
  16. Take Back Our Criminal Justice System, Use Jury Nullification, Aram James, Albert Cobarrubias Justice Project, May 8, 2012
  17. The California Public Defender: Its Origins, Evolution and Decline; Laurence A. Benner, 5 Cal. Legal Hist. 173 (2010)
  18. De-bug's role as legal watchdog grows, Tracey Kaplan, San Jose Mercury News, 4-4-2010
  19. D.A. Confidential - What the Merc's much-heralded 'Tainted Trials, Stolen Justice' series didn't say about the District Attorney's office, Vrinda Normand, San Jose Metro, 4-12-2006
  20. New Jail Plans Advance, Ryan Mcarthy, Palo Alto Daily Post, 10-5-2011
  21. Ray Samuels: A Police Chief and Leader Who Championed Rights For All, Aram James Bio, Silicon Valley Debug, 3-6-2012
  22. Police Activism in San Jose, Peter Maiden
  23. Charged Debate, Marty Levine, Pittsburgh City Paper, 11-15-2007