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Frances Carter

Released
Gender:Female
Race:Black
Era:1960s
State:Connecticut
Support
Black Power Black Nationalism Black Panther Party
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Biography

Frances Carter was secretary of the New Haven chapter of the Black Panther Party, arrested in 1969 in connection with the Alex Rackley murder as one of the "New Haven Nine." A federal court ordered her freed on bail for insufficient evidence, but when she refused to testify before a grand jury she was jailed for contempt, serving about five and a half months at the Niantic women's prison — where, pregnant, she reportedly gave birth under guard. After being granted immunity she agreed to testify and was released; she was never convicted.

Case

Connecticut Correctional Institution, Niantic (state prison for women)
Charges: Charges related to the death of Alex Rackley; later jailed
Arrested: May 22, 1969
Sentence: Verdict as recorded: No — freed on bail for insufficient evidence; released after about 5.5 months once granted immunity Charges as recorded: Charges related to the death of Alex Rackley; later jailed for contempt of court for refusing to testify
Prosecutor: State's Attorney Arnold Markle
Convicted: No
Institution State: Connecticut