Hurricane, The

Carter was also telling a story - his story - in a new book published by Viking Press. The 16th Round, reciting the facts from Carter's perspective, attracted significant attention. Even Bob Dylan was intrigued by the story and agreed to meet with Carter. Dylan left the meeting convinced Carter was innocent (scroll down about 1/3 to read Dylan's comments) and told the world what he thought in his song, "Hurricane," which was released as a single in 1974 and on an album, Desire, in early 1975. One of the verses really castigated Bello and Bradley:

Now all the criminals in their coats and ties
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten foot cell
An innocent man in a living hell.

Just before The 16th Round was published, "the criminals in their coats and ties" (as Dylan called them) recanted their trial testimony. They told a NY Times reporter that Paterson police had pressured them into lying. Based on this dramatic development, lawyers for Carter and Artis filed a motion for a new trial. The trial judge denied that request. It took the New Jersey Supreme Court to overturn the convictions and order a new trial. Their reasoning?

The court determined that the prosecution had withheld certain evidence from the defense. Such evidence indicated that prosecutors had offered the key identification witnesses both protection of their persons and assistance with criminal charges that were then pending or contemplated against them. The case was remanded to the trial court where, after numerous motions and hearings, the retrial began on October 12, 1976.

This time lawyers for Carter and Artis were ready to pounce on Bello. Except that, once again, Bello changed his story.