As the trials were moved outside of Detroit, the prospects for the imprisonment of the defending officers looked grim. The officers claimed self defense in the cases and the conflicting memories of the witnesses involved did little to sway the all white jury in Ronald August’s case. Despite the overwhelming testimony and forensic evidence that Temple was not running away and was laying on his bed, his death was still ruled a self-defense. This whittled the trial down to the murder of Auburey Pollard, the young man taken into the room by officer August, who was killed after shouting “don’t shoot.”
As the trial against Ronald August continued through 1968-June of 1969, it was clear the court was leaning in his favor. Judge Beer in the case had barred many black attendees from sitting in the courtroom because they “refused to stand” as he walked in the room. He later claimed that he would not allow blacks to make a mockery of his courtroom in order to make a point.
The star witness for the prosecution turned out to be Warrant Officer Thomas. “I heard no struggle from Pollard” Thomas claimed as he described what he thought was an execution in the midst of the “death game.” The defense would argue that there would be no possibility Thomas could have heard a struggle, since the commotion of the military and police forces going in and out would have masked it. To make the case more of a sideshow, Judge Beer laid out an ultimatum for the all-white jury of the case: either find August guilty of first-degree murder or acquit him of all charges. Despite the array of other offenses the jury could have potentially convicted August of in the case, Judge Beer placed a false dichotomy on the jury.
After a two and a half hour deliberation, the jury acquitted officer August of first-degree murder. Prior to the jury leaving for deliberation, Judge Beer informed them that “everyone has the right to self-defense, even police officers,” a comment clearly colored by his perspective on the case.
While many questioned why August could not be convicted of manslaughter or second-degree murder, Judge Beer stated he took those off the table “as a matter of law.” Walking out of the courthouse, a reported asked Ronald August how he felt: “just marvelous.”
“I didn’t look for them to find him guilty, all whites stick together” Auburey Pollard’s mother stated as she walked out of the courthouse.
The cases for self defense for Officers Senak, Paille, and Dismukes immediately went in favor of the officers who stormed the motel, therefore leaving the murder of Carl Cooper and Fred Temple as victims of self defense for the officers. Judge Schemanske of the case argued in favor of the defense, concurring that the apparent sniper fire near the hotel gave the officers cause to storm the motel and fire upon any suspects who may have been dangerous.
Despite no gun, sniper, or weapon being found at the Algiers, the judge and jury of the case for the three officers agreed that the Algiers Motel Incident required force. No one involved in the Algiers Motel Incident would be convicted of the murders of Carl Cooper, Auburey Pollard, or Fred Temple.
Coleman Young, who would go on to become Detroit’s first black mayor and was a senator at the time of the incident, was enraged by the outcome of case, calling into question the moral and ethical procedures of the courts. Despite the outrage at the outcome of the trials, the verdict would hold that no one would see jail time for the brutal treatment and slaughter of three men in the Algiers Motel.
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