Daniel James White (September 2, 1946 – October 21, 1985) was an American politician who assassinated San Francisco Mayor The Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of the San Francisco city and county government. The officeholder has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the legis… George Richard Moscone was an American attorney and Democratic politician. He was the 37th mayor of San Francisco, California from January 1976 until his assassination in November 1978. He was known as "the people's mayor", who opened up City Hall and its commissions to refle… Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician and the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, where he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Although he was the most pro-LGBT politician in the United States at the time, politics and activism were not …Mayor of San Francisco
George Moscone
Harvey Milk
Who is Dan White?
Dan White. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Daniel James White (September 2, 1946 – October 21, 1985) was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, on Monday, November 27, 1978, at City Hall.
What did Dan White do to Harvey Milk?
Dan White. Daniel James White (September 2, 1946 – October 21, 1985) was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, on Monday, November 27, 1978, at City Hall.
What happened to Dan White from Twinkies?
Dan White. In a controversial verdict that led to the coining of the legal slang " Twinkie defense ", White was convicted of manslaughter rather than murder in the deaths of Milk and Moscone. White served five years of a seven-year prison sentence. Less than two years after his release he returned to San Francisco and committed suicide .
What did'free Dan White'T-shirts mean?
The "Free Dan White" T-shirts had appeared in police locker rooms long before White ever went to trial, and one officer remembers gazing at the wall where one of his colleagues had scrawled in large capital letters: "FREE AN INNOCENT MAN WHO WAS FOR THE PEOPLE. FREE DAN WHITE."
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Why did Dan White assassinate?
A LIFE CUT SHORT: On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor Moscone were shot to death in City Hall by Dan White, a former city supervisor who had quit the board to protest the passage of the city's gay rights law. In his trial for the killings, White's attorneys employed what came to be known as the “Twinkie Defense”.
Who Shot Dan White?
Feinstein was elected by the Board of Supervisors to become the first female Mayor of San Francisco on December 4, 1978, a title she would hold for the next ten years. She eventually became a United States Senator for California....Moscone–Milk assassinationsPerpetratorDan White9 more rows
Why did Dan White only serve 5 years?
White, whose 218 days in jail since the slayings will be counted as part of his sentence, will be eligible for parole in less than five years. Under California law, the sentence was the maximum allowed. The minimum term would have been four years.
How many kids did Dan White have?
In his hands, he clutched photographs of his three children and his wife. The suicide was the final episode of a seven-year drama. On Nov. 27, 1978, White shot down Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, the city's first acknowledged homosexual public official, in their City Hall offices.
Who was the first person White hired to work in politics?
The first person White hired in politics was a gay man , who served as his campaign manager and later his chief of staff and business partner. “That was never an issue,” Ray Sloan told me in an interview for Cult City: Jim Jones, Harvey Milk, and 10 Days That Shook San Francisco.
What did White feel about the murder of Moscone?
White felt betrayed. More important, he felt as though he had betrayed those loyal to him. A petty man nursing a petty grievance over a petty office murdered Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
Why did Harvey Milk die?
“Harvey Milk died because he was a Gay man ,” Milk’s friend and fellow Bay Area Reporter writer Wayne Friday claimed in the immediate aftermath of the murders.
Who lobbied for Milk to be appointed chairman of the committee?
White successfully lobbied Feinstein, who had an antagonistic relationship with Milk, to appoint Milk to a committee chairmanship that he coveted. All these years later, Feinstein—not Bill Dannemeyer or Bob Dornan—possesses Dan White’s diary.
Did White resign from the board of supervisors?
About a week after Prop. 6 went down to defeat, White abruptly offered his resignation from the board of supervisors. Then the public employees who had worked hard to elect him let him know, at times angrily, that they objected to his sudden decision. Just as suddenly, the mercurial politician asked for his job back. Moscone initially welcomed White back on the board, but the mayor changed his mind after Milk lobbied him to seat someone else and encouraged political players in White’s district to jettison his attempt to regain his seat.
Did Dan White betray Harvey Milk?
A petty man nursing a petty grievance over a petty office murdered Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. “I know why Dan White killed Milk,” board colleague Quentin Kopp explained in an interview for Cult City.
What did Dan White do when he watched his son play soccer?
When Dan White watched his young son play soccer, he hid behind a fence and peered through a knothole so no one would spot him.
What happened to White's spirits when he returned to the United States?
Indeed, friends said that when he returned to the United States and was confronted again with the reality of his life here, White’s spirits fell.
Why did Marty Cardone call White?
Longtime friend Marty Cardone said that White called unexpectedly earlier this year, wanting to talk about family, friends and the old neighborhood where they both grew up. When White arrived, he insisted that Cardone join him in his car out on the street.
What did the boyhood friend suggest they meet in a car parked on a darkened street?
When he went to see a boyhood friend, he suggested they meet in a car parked on a darkened street so no one would see his face.
How long was Dan White in jail?
Dan White had been found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. The maximum allowable sentence, taking both killings into consideration, was seven years, eight months. With credit for time served and time off for good behavior--both also mandated by law--Dan White would be would be out of prison in just over five years.
What did the jury learn about Dan White?
They learned that on the morning of Nov. 27 White , a former police officer and fire fighter, loaded his gun, put 10 extra bullets in his pocket, had an aide drive him to City Hall, ignored the front entrance (with its large metal detector), climbed in through a basement window and went up to see the mayor.
How many people sued the police in the White Night Riot?
Fifteen people sued the police department in the aftermath of the White Night Riot; most of the suits have been settled or dropped, although the attorney for one man who allegedly was beaten says his client has not yet fully assessed the damage from his injuries.
Who replaced Dan White in the Moscone killings?
There is more that Dan White left behind. Mayor Dianne Feinstein , who replaced Moscone immediately after the killings and was later reelected, is a more conservative politician than her predecessor, and some see an attendant swing in city politics. "Diminished capacity" has been sharply curtailed as a legal defense, restricted by the legislature in 1981 and then expressly abolished by a stiffly "pro-victim" statewide ballot proposition. Last year the state approved legislation forcing felons to set aside for 10 years any profit from the public retelling of their crimes, thereby allowing victims time to file restitution lawsuits. The maximum sentence allowed for voluntary manslaughter has been extended, so that if the White verdict were returned this month, he could spend eight to 12 years in prison.
Was Dan White a bully?
The prosecution, to the increasing dismay of some watching the trial, never called certain witnesses who were prepared to testify that White seemed to them a bully. White's feelings about homosexuality--as a supervisor he had said that public displays of homosexual affection offended family people--were never discussed. Dan White's wife sat in the courtroom throughout the trial, but George Moscone's widow and children did not. The San Francisco medical examiner, as writer Mike Weiss reveals in his forthcoming book about the killings, was prepared to testify that he believed one or both victims would have lived if White had not finished them off with close shots to the head; no one ever asked him the right question. And throughout the trial, scarcely any mention was made of long-running ideological and political battles between White and the generally closer alliance of Moscone and Milk. White knew Milk had urged the mayor to deny his reappointment.
Who took Harvey Milk's bullhorn?
Now Cleve Jones took the lead, Harvey Milk's bullhorn in his hand. "I saw what the bullets did," he cried, because he had; he had been at City Hall Nov. 27 and had never shaken the memory of Milk's head flopping back as the police officers turned the body over.
Was the background information necessary for Dan White's murder?
The prosecutors, who have spent what by their own account are some of the least pleasant moments of their lives reexplaining their handling of the case, said none of the background information was necessary--that an attorney rarely sees such an open-and-shut case of premeditated murder. "For 13 years I've worked on hundreds of cases," says Frank Falzon, the inspector who took White's confession and still smoulders at the suggestion that as an old friend he guided White into emphasizing the emotional pressure that drove him to kill. "The bottom line is always the same. It's like a big puzzle, and you try to come up with as many pieces of the puzzle as you can. On the Dan White case, the investigators had 100 percent of the pieces. It was the most complete puzzle I've ever worked on."
Who is Dan White?
It is an Academy Award-winning film documentary. Dan White, the former San Francisco supervisor who spent five years in prison for killing that city's mayor and its first openly gay supervisor, committed suicide today at his San Francisco home, city officials said. White, a 39-year-old former firefighter and police officer, ...
Where did White spend his time?
Windows were smashed, police cars burned and about 150 people injured. White spent nearly all of his sentence at Soledad prison, 100 miles south of San Francisco, in a protective wing that still houses Sirhan Sirhan, assassin of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
How many times did White shoot Moscone?
handgun. When he appeared at Moscone's office, the mayor invited him in to talk, and White shot him three times, the last slug fired point-blank into the mayor's head.
What did Douglas Schmidt say about White?
Douglas Schmidt, White's attorney, said he last spoke to White three weeks ago and found him suffering from "all-encompassing" depression: "He didn't understand his own illness and couldn't deal with the fact that he'd killed two men. "He was not an amoral person," Schmidt said.
Who did White leave notes to?
Police Chief Cornelius Murphy said White left three notes: one to his brother, Tom, whom White had invited to the house; one to his wife, Mary Ann, a part-time teacher, and one to his mother. The notes reportedly expressed concern over the anguish his family would feel at his death but did not mention Moscone or Milk.
Who was Milk's lover and business partner when Dan White died?
This latest tragedy should close a very sad chapter in this city's history.". Scott Smith, Milk's lover and business partner, said he was "stunned" by White's death but not upset.
Who was appointed to Milk's seat?
The "White Night" riot that followed the lesser verdict unified the city's homosexual community as never before. Harry Britt , also an avowed homosexual, was appointed to Milk's seat and later reelected.
What did Dan White feel in 1978?
Summer 1978. Dan White falls into a depressed state. Symptoms of his depression include insomnia, giving up his exercise schedule, and eating a less healthy diet. (The latter symptom gave rise to the press's later description of White's diminished capacity defense as "the twinkie defense.
How long is Dan White in jail?
Dan White is sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison.
What did Harvey Milk tell his friends about Dan White?
They praise each other, and Milk tells friends that he thinks he will be able to work with the conservative White. Fearing a possible assassination, Harvey Milk tape records his "political will.".
What year did Milk and White go to the cable car?
White strongly opposes the facility, while Milk supports it. May 21, 1978. On the day before Milk's last birthday, he dresses in a clown costume and runs up to cable cars, shaking the hands of random tourists and declaring, "Hey, I'm a supervisor. I pass laws.
When did the jury verdict come out in the Dan White trial?
May 14, 1979 . Summations begin in the Dan White trial. May 21, 1979. After 36 hours of deliberation, the jury announces its verdict in the Dan White trial, finding White not guilty on the murder counts, but guilty on two counts of voluntary manslaughter.
What does Harvey Milk say on his tape?
Fearing a possible assassination, Harvey Milk tape records his "political will ." Milk says, "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door."
Where did Dan White get his haircut?
White gets a haircut at a Visitacion Valley barbershop. Political consultant Ray Sloan took a deep drink of white wine, returned his glass to the bar, and began to reminisce about the political campaign 30 years ago in which he engineered Dan White's election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. “There's nothing like winning an election ...
Why did White quit the police department?
More recently, White had quit his job with the police department after he stopped another cop from beating a handcuffed black prisoner. White filed a report naming the offending officer, something cops did not do at the time.
What gang did White play football with?
On weekends, he played tackle football with a street gang called the Sons of Sunnydale. The Sons later campaigned for him, distributing literature and attending his functions. Other candidates criticized White because the Sons were often boisterous at rallies, and asked him to discourage them from taking part in his campaign. Sloan says White refused: “These guys were part of his district and they had every right to participate, and they were dedicated to Dan.”
What color was Sloan's first interview?
Over the course of several interviews at the Cinch, Sloan recounted those heady days in 1977 when he organized White 's campaign. During the first interview, the 58-year-old political consultant wore a Baywatch-yellow sweatshirt and tan baseball cap that partly covered his bald pate.
How long did White go to jail?
In May 1979, a jury found White guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to a seven-year prison term . The punishment so poorly matched the brutal killings that most San Franciscans believed White got away with murder. Public outrage over the verdicts ignited the violent “White Night Riots,” which caused millions of dollars in damage to city property.
Who gave Sloan a list of 300 supporters?
Sloan was unimpressed at that first meeting. White handed him a list of 300 supporters with the names handwritten in block letters. The list, Sloan assumed, had been painstakingly compiled by White's wife, Mary Ann, who taught grammar school. “He had no money, no political experience,” Sloan recalls.
Who was the firefighter in the Geneva Towers?
The firefighter was Dan White . Sloan began to hear other stories about White.
Who is the widow of Dan White?
However, Feinstein talked more sympathetically. “I am very sorry to hear that Dan White has taken his life,” she said. “My sympathy goes to his widow, Mary Ann, and his children and his family who have suffered very much. This latest tragedy should close a very sad chapter in this city’s history.”.
Who is White's attorney?
White’s attorney, Douglas Schmidt, said White had seen a psychiatrist “at least a couple of times” since his release from prison last year, but was receiving no regular care. Schmidt said White “always seemed vacant and depressed.”.
What did Roff say to White's brother?
The note to White’s brother “said something like, ‘I’m sorry to put you through all this,’ ” Roff said.
Why was White depressed before the murders?
White’s defense during his murder trial was that before the murders, he had become severely depressed, in part because of eating junk food such as Twinkies. That diminished-capacity theory--which became widely known as the “Twinkie Defense"--led to his conviction for voluntary manslaughter.
Where did White go to jail?
Roff said White had recently returned from a trip to Ireland. While serving his sentence at Soledad State Prison, White often talked of taking such a trip. “Apparently he had spent four months or so in Ireland and had recently returned to San Francisco,” Roff said.
Who was the San Francisco Mayor assassin?
SAN FRANCISCO —. Former Supervisor Dan White, the assassin of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, committed suicide in the garage of his home here Monday, just about one month short of the seventh anniversary of the sensational slayings.
Where was Tom White's brother's body?
When Tom White arrived, he found his brother’s body inside a white Buick sedan in the garage, with a garden hose running from the exhaust pipe into a partially opened car window.
Did Daniel White have depression?
The doctors, of course, will corroborate in great detail, and doctors will be called here to testify in regards to the symptoms of depression, and basically they entail radical changes to the diet, compulsive difficulty in sleeping, low energy, withdrawal from duties, withdrawal from job, and withdrawal from others, and sometimes bizarre behavior, and these depressive episodes occurred with some frequency in Daniel White's life, but went unrecognized, and as I have indicated, he was never treated for this disease, and there are several reasons why it went unrecognized. Most of those reasons have to do with his character and personality.
Did Daniel White have mental illness?
Good people, fine people, with fine backgrounds, simply don't kill people in cold blood, it just doesn't happen...The part that perhaps went unrecognized, and certainly went unrecognized until it was too late, was the fact that Daniel White was suffering from a mental illness. He had been suffering from a mental illness since the time of early manhood, and it's a disease like any other disease, perhaps not easily diagnosable as a broken leg or arm, but far more devastating to the person, and the disease that Daniel White was suffering from is called "depression," sometimes referred to as "manic depression," and sometimes simply as "depression." It's not a feeling that perhaps you and I have experienced wherein one is depressed over certain turns of events or disheartened by something that has happened, but this is a chemical change that occurs within the man's body, and it's diagnosable and substantiated as a disease.
