1972 - "Charlotte Three" Convicted

July 15, 1972 - The Charlotte Three are convicted of firebombing.

• Three Charlotteans, including T. J. Reddy, are convicted of setting fire to a barn that kills fifteen horses at the Lazy B. Stables. The three black men deny involvement. (Photo shows Reddy and fellow defendant Charles Parker leaving the courthouse.)
• The controversial trial and lengthy prison terms draw international attention. Amnesty International condemns the trial and harsh sentences. 
• The case becomes known as "The Charlotte Three." Reddy is sentenced to 25 years in prison. His attorney, James Ferguson, will appeal to the federal court in 1974, claiming the men did not receive a fair trial because two key prosecution witnesses were promised money. 
• After three and a half years in Camp Greene Prison, T.J. Reddy will be released. T. J. Reddy becomes a Charlotte artist and poet.