Biography
Artie Seale was a Black Panther organizer and the first wife of party co-founder Bobby Seale. Police arrested the couple during a warrantless search of their Berkeley home on February 25, 1968, and they were subsequently released on bail. In January 1969, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Lionel Wilson suppressed the weapons seized during the search after finding that police lacked probable cause for the arrests. Artie also spoke publicly in support of imprisoned Panthers.
The issue reproduces the suppression memorandum in People v. Bobby Seale and Artie F. Seale, Alameda County Superior Court No. 42160, before Judge Lionel J. Wilson. It identifies a January 3, 1969 hearing on the weapons-evidence motion and Assistant District Attorney Lowell Jensen representing the prosecution, with Charles R. Garry as defense counsel. The memorandum expressly refers to both defendants’ warrantless arrests and finds insufficient probable cause, including inconsistent police testimony and lack of evidence of criminal conduct at their home. These legal findings concern the earlier home-search case; the hearing date is not a new arrest or physical-release date.
The Black Panther, February 2, 1969, printed page 17, reproduced court memorandum.
