Killing of Latasha Harlins

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Latasha Harlins
Latasha Harlins.jpg
Latasha Harlins
Born(1976-01-01)January 1, 1976
East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMarch 16, 1991(1991-03-16) (aged 15)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of deathGunshot wound
NationalityAmerican
Other namesTasha
EducationWestchester High School

Latasha Harlins (January 1, 1976 – March 16, 1991) was a 15-year-old African-American girl who was fatally shot by Soon Ja Du (Hangul:두순자), a 51-year-old Korean-American convenience store owner. Du was tried and convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Harlins' death. Although the jury recommended a sentence of 16 years, Judge Joyce Karlin sentenced Du to time served,[1] five years of probation, 400 hours of community service, a $500 restitution, and funeral expenses.[2] The death of Latasha Harlins, which was recorded on security footage, and the later sentencing and failed appeal, are considered to have contributed to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, especially the targeting of Koreatown, Los Angeles. Harlins' death came 13 days after the videotaped beating of Rodney King.

Early life[edit]

Latasha Harlins was born January 1, 1976 in East St. Louis, Illinois, to Crystal Harlins and Sylvester "Vester" Acoff Sr. Latasha had one younger brother, Vester Acoff Jr. and one younger sister, Christina. The family moved from Illinois to South Central Los Angeles in 1981. When Latasha was six years old, her father took a job in a steel foundry while her mother worked as a waitress in a local tavern. They lived near 89th St. and Broadway, just a few blocks from where Latasha would be killed ten years later.[3][4]

Acoff Sr. was known to be abusive towards Crystal Harlins, attacking her in front of Latasha and her younger siblings.[5][3] Their unstable marriage eventually ended in 1983. On November 27, 1985, Crystal was brutally shot dead outside a Los Angeles nightclub by Cora Mae Anderson, Acoff's new girlfriend, leaving Latasha and her younger siblings in the care of their maternal grandmother, Ruth Harlins. The death of her mother had a devastating impact on Latasha who began to rebel and argue with her maternal grandmother and her maternal aunt Denise (the sister of Latasha's late mother). Their relationship worsened further when Latasha, then 14, was groomed by a counselor at the local recreational center named Jerry Foster, who was between 29 and 32 years-old.[5] At the time of her death, Latasha was a student at Westchester High School.

Killing[edit]

Soon Ja Du's store, Empire Liquor, located at the intersection of 91st St. and Figueroa Ave. Vermont Vista, Los Angeles,[6] was normally staffed by Du's husband and son. However, on the morning of the shooting, Du was working behind the counter, and her husband was outside resting in the family van.[7]

Shortly before 10:00 am on Saturday March 16, Harlins entered the store. Du observed Harlins putting a $1.79 bottle of orange juice in her backpack. Du concluded Harlins was attempting to steal, and did not see the money Harlins held in her hand. Du claimed to have asked Harlins if she intended to pay for the orange juice, to which Du claimed Harlins responded, "What orange juice?" Two eyewitnesses disputed that claim, saying that Du called Harlins a "bitch" and accused her of trying to steal, to which they claimed Harlins replied that she intended to pay for the orange juice.[8] After speaking with the two eyewitnesses present and viewing the videotape of the incident, recorded by a store security camera, the police concluded that Harlins intended to pay for the beverage with money in hand.[9][10] The videotape[11] showed that Du grabbed Harlins by her sweater and snatched her backpack. Harlins then struck Du with her fist twice, knocking Du to the ground. After Harlins backed away, Du angrily threw a stool at her. Harlins then picked up the orange juice bottle that dropped during the scuffle, Du snatched the bottle from her, and Harlins turned to leave. Du reached under the counter, retrieved a revolver, and fired at Harlins from behind at a distance of about three feet (one meter). The gunshot struck Harlins in the back of the head, killing her instantly. Du's husband, Billy Heung Ki Du, heard the gunshot and rushed into the store. After speaking to his wife, who asked for the whereabouts of Harlins before fainting, he dialed 9-1-1 to report an attempted holdup.[12]

Trial[edit]

Du testified on her own behalf, claiming that the shooting was in self-defense and that she believed her life was in danger. But her testimony was contradicted by the statements of the two witnesses present at the time, as well as the store's security camera video, which showed Du shooting Harlins in the back of the head as the teenager turned away from Du and attempted to leave the store.[13] The Los Angeles Police Department ballistics report also found that the handgun Du used was altered in such a way that it required much less pressure on the trigger to fire than an ordinary handgun.[12]

Decision and sentence[edit]

On November 15, 1991 a jury found that Du's decision to fire the gun was fully within her control and that she fired the gun voluntarily. The jury found Du guilty of voluntary manslaughter, an offense that carries a maximum prison sentence of 16 years. The jury recommended the maximum sentence for Du. However, the trial judge, Joyce Karlin, did not accept the jury's sentencing recommendation and instead sentenced Du to five years of probation, 400 hours of community service, and a $500 fine.[14][15][16]

Judge Karlin suggested that there were mitigating circumstances in Harlins's death. She stated, "Did Mrs. Du react inappropriately? Absolutely. But was that reaction understandable? I think that it was." Karlin added, "this is not a time for revenge...and no matter what sentence this court imposes Mrs. Du will be punished every day for the rest of her life." The court also stated that Du shot Harlins under extreme provocation and duress and deemed it unlikely that Du would ever commit a serious crime again.[17] Furthermore, Karlin deemed that Du's capacity to act rationally in the situation was undermined by her experience with past robberies.

California Court of Appeal[edit]

A state appeals court later unanimously upheld Judge Karlin's sentencing decision, 3-0, on April 21, 1992, about a week before the LA riots.[18] In July 1992, the Harlins family was awarded $300,000 in settlement.[19]

Impact[edit]

The incident and reduced sentencing by the court exacerbated the existing tensions between African-American residents and Asian-American merchants in South-central Los Angeles. Those tensions were later interpreted by some members of the public and activists as being one of the catalysts for the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The Los Angeles mayor's office estimated that 65 percent of all businesses vandalized during the riots were Korean-owned.[20][21][22] On August 17, 1991, while Du was awaiting trial, a small fire occurred at her store.[23]

During the 1992 riots, Du's store was looted and burned down, and it never reopened. The property later became a market under different ownership.[24] Latasha Harlins is buried next to her mother in Paradise Memorial Park, Santa Fe Springs, California.[25]

In music[edit]

Hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur took particular note of Harlins's death and in 1993 released a song entitled "Keep Ya Head Up" which was dedicated to Latasha Harlins. Thereafter, Shakur made frequent mention of Harlins in his songs, including in tracks like "Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)" ("Latasha Harlins, remember that name... 'Cause a bottle of juice is not something to die for"), "Thugz Mansion" ("Little Latasha, sho' grown/Tell the lady in the liquor store that she's forgiven/So come home"), "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" ("Tell me what's a black life worth/A bottle of juice is no excuse, the truth hurts/And even when you take the shit/Move counties get a lawyer, you can shake the shit/Ask Rodney, Latasha, and many more"), "White Mans World" ("Rest in Peace to Latasha, Little Yummy, and Kato"), "Hellrazor" ("Dear Lord if ya hear me, tell me why/Little girl like Latasha, had to die")[26][27] and "N.I.G.G.A" ("Korean motherfuckers was crooked/So niggas had to burn and loot 'em [...] Lickin' off shots for Latasha, that's proper").[28]

Rapper Ice Cube composed a song about the incident for his album Death Certificate entitled "Black Korea".[29]

Gabriel Kahane composed a song about the incident entitled "Empire Liquor Mart (9127 S. Figueroa St.)".

In literature[edit]

Steph Cha's novel Your House Will Pay centers on the aftermath of the murder of a 16-year-old African-American girl in South-central Los Angeles. It is a fictionalized account of Latasha Harlins' death and the effects on both her family and the family of the shooter.

Sapphire, in her book American Dream wrote the poem Strange Juice (or the murder of Latasha Harlins) giving voice to the murdered girl.

Joyce Karlin[edit]

Karlin's rulings in the case prompted District Attorney Ira Reiner to instruct his deputies to effectively bar Judge Karlin from trying cases by invoking a statute to remove a judge for any reason. In justifying his directive, he said "[t]his was such a stunning miscarriage of justice that Judge Karlin cannot continue to hear criminal cases with any public credibility".[30]

Karlin became the target of protests and an unsuccessful recall campaign. Denise Harlins, Latasha Harlins's maternal aunt, led protests outside Karlin's home and the Compton courthouse. Protesters noted that a week after Latasha Harlins's death, a Glendale man received a more severe sentence than Du for kicking a dog.[31] After the Los Angeles Times endorsed one of her opponents in her re-election campaign, she wrote a letter to the newspaper, saying "[I]f judges have to look over their shoulders as they decide a case; if they have to test the political winds in order to arrive at a politically correct verdict—then the judicial system and the freedoms it guarantees will be destroyed".[31] The Harlins family held vigils outside the Du residence every year on the anniversary of her sentencing.[31]

Denise Harlins interrupted an awards ceremony at the Biltmore Hotel for Du defense attorney Charles Lloyd. Karlin and Du's son also attended that ceremony. "All you people sitting, applauding over a child killer," Harlins yelled. "Latasha was defenseless. She didn't do nothing!"[31][32] Karlin was re-elected to the Superior Court bench. She then moved to Juvenile Dependency Court, a transfer she had requested before the Du case. "I have been honored to spend the last 20 years serving the public but now I want to devote time to my family," Karlin wrote.[15] Karlin resigned from the bench in 1997. Upon hearing of retirement, Harlins's aunt Denise stated, "I'm glad to hear that she's removed herself from the bench and that she's retired. But she didn't belong [on the bench] anyway."[31]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/common-ground-brenda-stevensons-the-contested-murder-of-latasha-harlins/
  2. ^ https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1769555.html
  3. ^ a b "Latasha Harlins (1975-1991)". Black Past.
  4. ^ Katz, Jesse; Lee, John H. (1991-04-08). "Conflict Brings Tragic End to Similar Dreams of Life : Shooting: An immigrant grocer is accused of murdering a girl, 15. Both sought to overcome adversity". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  5. ^ a b Stevenson, Brenda (2013). The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins: Justice, Gender, and the Origins of the LA Riots. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-933959-4. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  6. ^ II, Rong-Gong Lin (29 January 2005). "Liquor Permit Denied at Site of 1991 Killing" – via LA Times.
  7. ^ The People, petitioner v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Respondent; Soon Ja Du, Real Party in Interest, 1992. 5th Cal App 4th 825.
  8. ^ "People v. Soon Ja Du". Findlaw. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  9. ^ "A Senseless and Tragic Killing : New tension for Korean-American and African-American communities". Los Angeles Times. 1991-03-20. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  10. ^ "Merchant Charged in Girl's Fatal Shooting". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 22, 1991.
  11. ^ Shooting of teen Latasha Harlins at Empire Liquor in 1991 (Warning: Graphic content), retrieved 2019-12-12
  12. ^ a b "Legal Audio Opinions and Courtroom Video - LexisNexis Courtroom Cast". lawschool.courtroomview.com.
  13. ^ FORD, ANDREA (1 October 1991). "Videotape Shows Teen Being Shot After Fight : Killing: Trial opens for Korean grocer who is accused in the slaying of a 15-year-old black girl at a South-Central store" – via LA Times.
  14. ^ "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 Historical Timeline". UC Davis.
  15. ^ a b "Judge Who Gave Probation In a Slaying May Be Moved". The New York Times. January 24, 1992.
  16. ^ "U.S. Looks Into Korean Grocer's Slaying of Black Published", The New York Times, November 26, 1992
  17. ^ "Grocer Given Probation in Shooting of Girl". The New York Times. November 17, 1991.
  18. ^ People v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County (Du), 5 Cal. App. 4th 822, 7 Cal.Rptr.2d 177 (1992), from Google Scholar. Retrieved on September 14, 2012.
  19. ^ "LOS ANGELES : Family of Latasha Harlins Wins $300,000 Settlement", Los Angeles Times, July 9, 1992
  20. ^ African-Americans, Koreans Try to Heal Deep Wounds, L.A. Daily News, Apr. 29, 2007
  21. ^ Dressler & Garvey, Cases and Materials Criminal Law 57 (6th ed 2012)
  22. ^ Salak, John (1993). The Los Angeles Riots: America's Cities in Crisis. Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook Press. p. 24. ISBN 1562943731.
  23. ^ Penelope McMillan, End to Market Violence Urged From the Los Angeles Times (August 19, 1991). Retrieved on June 19, 2012.
  24. ^ The L.A. Riots: 20 Years Later — Where they are now. From the Los Angeles Times (April 20, 2012). Retrieved on June 19, 2012.
  25. ^ "Latasha Harlins", Find a Grave
  26. ^ Tom Mathews et al. "The Siege of L.A.". Newsweek. May 1992.
  27. ^ David Ellis. "L.A. Lawless". Time. May 1992.
  28. ^ 2Pac – N.I.G.G.A. (Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished) Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
  29. ^ Van Nguyen, Dean (18 October 2011). "True to the Game: Ice Cube's 'Death Certificate'". PopMatters.
  30. ^ Perez-Pena, Richard. "Unusual Threat for a Judge in a Bitter Slaying Trial". Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  31. ^ a b c d e Tobar, Hector (1997-02-11). "Judge Who Gave Probation in '91 Killing Quits". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  32. ^ Njeri, Itabari (1993-04-25). "The Conquest of Hate : By Turning Conflict Inside Out, a New Breed of Mediators Finds a Way of Bringing Peace to the City". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
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