Gary W. Thomas, American judge, Died at 79

  Law

Gary W. Thomas was born on March 19, 1938, and died on April 3, 2017.

He was a Marin County, California prosecutor and Superior Court judge.

He was best known for his role in the Marin County Civic Center shootout in which he was taken hostage in a courtroom, along with Judge Harold Haley and three female jurors, by Jonathan Jackson and three inmates from San Quentin prison in what is widely speculated to be a failed attempt to free his brother, George Jackson, and the other two Soledad Brothers.

After Haley, Jonathan Jackson, and two of the inmates were killed during the escape attempt, Thomas was also paralyzed from the waist down.

Stated by his wife, he suffered from kidney problems, pneumonia, and other complications from his paralysis.

Gary W. Thomas passed away at 79 years old.