The US vs John Lennon - DM's Beatles forums

... but it's well-done too ... two favourite moments:
1969 John&Yoko interview with that female journalist
and that (unseen) footage of John gettin the Green Card in 1976 ... A happy day for him!

The following was posted here:
http://dmbeatles.com/forums/b-lennon/m-1076997885/s-525/

^from the "The U.S. vs John Lennon" DVD

Tuesday July 27, 1976
John finally wins his five-year battle against the Immigration Authorities, when his American application for a 'green card' is approved (no. 17-597-321). Effectively, this allows him to remain permanently in the US and, most importantly, leave and re-enter the country without any problems. John is also able to apply for full American citizenship in 1981. The 90-minute hearing takes place at the downtown New York offices of the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service, where Judge Ira Fieldsteel officially hands John the green card. Ironically, it was Fieldsteel who had handed down the decision ordering John to leave America on March 23 1973. When the verdict is announced, John embraces Yoko and the packed courthouse bursts into spontaneous applause. The celebrities present who testify for John include the American news reporter Geraldo Rivera, the actress Gloria Swanson, the sculptor Isamu Noguchi and the writer Norman Mailer, who describes John as "one of the great artists of the Western world". Close friends of the Lennons, Peter Boyle and John Cage are also present in the courthouse.

The day begins with the judge reading a brief resume of the history of the case, which had begun on August 31,1971 when John last entered America. He has remained in the country ever since, refusing to leave in case he is not permitted to return.

John, wearing a white shirt, black suit and tie, cowboy boots and sporting a short-cropped haircut, is called to give evidence, answering questions from his attorney Leon Wildes:

"Have you ever been convicted of any crime anywhere in the US?"

John: "No."

"Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party or any other organisation that may seek to overthrow the US Government by force?"

John: "No."

"Do you intend to make the US your home?"

John: "I do."

"Will you continue your work here?"

John: "Yes. I wish to continue to live here with my family and continue making music."

Wildes then asks John if there is anything he has to add in connection with his request to be granted permanent residency.

John: "I'd like to publicly thank Yoko, my wife, for looking after me and pulling me together for four years, and giving birth to our son at the same time. There are many times that I wanted to quit, but she stopped me. I'd also like to thank a cast of thousands, famous and unknown, who have been helping me publicly and privately for the last four years. And last, but not least, I'd like to thank you, my attorney, Leon Wildes, for doing a good job well, and I hope this is the end of it."

Leon Wildes then calls the first of several witnesses to speak on behalf of John. The first is Mr. Sam Trust, President of ATV Music Corporation, which owns the rights to John's compositions. He says: "There are two very positive reasons why Mr. Lennon should be allowed to remain in the US. The music scene in the US is in the doldrums right now, and the current resurgence of interest in The Beatles and their material proves that they are the most powerful source of music in the last 30 years. I believe we can look forward to many new innovations in music if Lennon is allowed to remain in this country. The second point is that Lennon is a tremendous revenue generator. The US will be the scene for the reception of that revenue if he is allowed to remain."

Next is the writer Norman Mailer: "I think John Lennon is a great artist who has made an enormous contribution to popular culture. He is one of the great artists of the Western world. We lost T.S. Eliot to England and only just got Auden back... it would be splendid to have Mr. Lennon as well!"

Next up is the broadcaster, lawyer and close friend of the Lennons, Geraldo Rivera. He, of course, was involved with John and Yoko on the 1972 One To One Concert at Madison Square Garden, which raised $90,000 for the Willowbrook School, a home for mentally retarded children in New York. To help the cause, John and Yoko donated a further $50,000 from their own money. (See entry for August 30,1972 for full details of the show.) For his testimony on behalf of John, Geraldo continues on this point: "This money liberated at least 60 retarded children from the pits of hell and set them up in small residences where they could be cared for on a 'one-to-one' basis. I believe that what was started by John and Yoko and other artists in 1972 was a turning point in the care of the mentally retarded, and if there ever was a person who deserved to stay in this country it is John Lennon."

Leon Wildes then reads a letter from the Bishop of New York, the Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, which emphasises Lennon's contribution to the culture of New York and praises him as being a "gentleman of integrity".

The final witness is Gloria Swanson who, despite her advancing years, takes to the stand appearing to be in perfect mental and physical strength. She says: "For many years I have been actively interested in the physical fitness of the youth of New York. My husband met John Lennon in a health food store in this city, and we found we had feelings in common on this subject. We feel that good food is essential to physical wellbeing and we are anti-junk food. I hope very much that he will help us in this sphere. We must educate the country and the Lennons will help to do something about it."

After a short deliberation, the Judge returns to enquire whether or not John will become a state charge (i.e. draw welfare benefit or its equivalent). The packed courthouse breaks into a subdued round of sniggers. John's attorney rises from his seat to answer this question: "On the contrary, your Honour. Mr. Lennon was a member of The Beatles, and has substantial earnings every year. It is therefore most unlikely. He is also the owner of several valuable copyrights, properties and such like."

Mr. Wildes retakes his seat and, almost immediately, the Judge speaks again to deliver this short sentence: "I find him (John) statutorily eligible for permanent residence."

John's five-year fight was over.

Leon Wildes stands up and says: "Your honour, this is one decision that I won't appeal against."

Following the hearing, John, Yoko, their friends and an army of reporters and cameramen are ushered into another room where an immigration official hands John his "green card" where he is pictured with Yoko, accepting it. The card had already been prepared, which suggests that John's fate had been decided prior to today's hearing. (Bob Gruen took the picture on the card on New Year's Day this year.)

Outside the building, surrounded by the large crowd, a happy and relieved looking John says: "It's great to be legal again. I'll tell my baby. I thank Yoko and the Immigration Service who have finally seen the light of day. It's been a long and slow road, but I am not bitter. I can't get into that. On the contrary, now I can go and see my relations in Japan and elsewhere. Again I thank Yoko, I've always thought there's a great woman behind every idiot."

As the Lennons again pose for the army of photographers and television crews, with the "green card" proudly held aloft, Melody Maker's Chris Charlesworth, who was present at the hearing, remarks to John: "Hey John, well done! I'll tell you something... have you noticed? Your green card is actually blue!" (Ironically, after years of searching for the elusive green card, John now realises, to his amusement, that it is actually blue.)

A reporter then asks John: "Will you now apply to become a full US citizen?" John replies: "I will first enjoy the advantages of holding a green card before making up my mind on that point. The main thing is that I can travel now. Until today my attorney wouldn't even let me go to Hawaii for a vacation in case I couldn't get back. Whenever I flew to Los Angeles I was paranoid in case the plane was diverted to Toronto on the way." He is then asked, considering the previous five years of turmoil, why do you still want to live in America? John replies: "If I had lived 2,000 years ago I would have wanted to live in Rome. New York is the Rome of today. Now I'm going home to crack open a tea-bag and start looking at some travel catalogues."

In fact John and Yoko do not do that. Instead they visit the well-known Upper East Side ice cream parlour Serendipity's where, for this time only, John breaks his "no sugar" diet and indulges m some chocolate.

from here: http://wingspan.ru/bookseng/diary2/b09_1976.html