Larry W. Baraka '73, the first Black district judge elected in Dallas County, Texas, died Dec. 6, 2021. He was 71.
Born Larry Wallace, he grew up in a St. Louis housing project and came to Cornell College as a first-generation college student. Once on campus, however, he was shunned and threatened, according to a 1990 D Magazine article titled "The Riddle of Larry Baraka." The article states, "In his anger, Baraka renounced his Baptist faith and adopted the tenets of Islam espoused by his new hero, Malcolm X." He discarded the surname Wallace—'a name given to our family by slave owners'—and called himself Baraka, 'The Blessed.' "
Baraka received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center after being part of the CLEO (Counsel on Legal Educational Opportunity) program, designed to diversify the legal profession. He was hired as an assistant prosecutor by the Dallas County District Attorney, became the county's first Black felony prosecutor in 1978, and worked as a defense attorney before successfully running for the Criminal District Court Second Judicial seat, a position he held from 1985 to 1997. According to The Dallas Morning News article upon his death, Baraka's ascension "served as inspiration for up-and-coming Black lawyers in Dallas County."
Baraka is survived by his wife and four children.
______________________________________________________________________
Larry Baraka, a pioneering Black jurist in Dallas County, dies at 71
As the county's first Black felony prosecutor and its first elected Black district judge, he was an inspiration to many up-and-coming lawyers.
Larry W. Baraka, a pioneering jurist whose life traced a path from his childhood in the St. Louis housing projects to prominence as the first Black district judge ever elected in Dallas County, died Monday. He was 71.
Baraka's death was confirmed by his widow, Belinda, who said he died after an extended illness.
Baraka was born Larry Wallace and grew up in the Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis. In a 1990 D Magazine profile, he described the neighborhood as a "human garbage dump," where "crime and drugs and murder were just part of life."
"Almost every time I went outside, I would get in a [fight]," Baraka said in the profile. "Other kids resented me because I wouldn't join their gangs or go out and steal with them. There were some things I just wasn't going to do no matter how many times people beat me up."
Baraka attended Cornell College in Iowa before enrolling at the University of Houston to study law. After graduating, he was offered a job as an assistant prosecutor by then-Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade.
Quickly made his mark
Baraka quickly broke ground under Wade, becoming the county's first Black felony prosecutor in 1978. He also worked in private practice as a defense attorney before successfully running for the Criminal District Court 2 judicial seat.
His ascension served as inspiration for up-and-coming Black lawyers in Dallas County. Several of the most prominent said Baraka helped shape or inspire their careers.
"He was a hardworking guy," said former Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson. "He was tough. Some people liked him, some people didn't. I just loved the fact that he was committed to working, and he was diligent and he was stern."
Johnson said Baraka as judge saw "the person and not just a crime."
"He looked at whether or not your were going to work through the situation, and he was committed to helping you if you were committed to helping yourself."
Saw the humanity in people
Current District Attorney John Creuzot said he first knew Baraka when Baraka was a defense lawyer. The two squared off on a few cases in misdemeanor court, where Creuzot was a prosecutor, before Baraka was elected to Criminal District Court 2 in 1984.
Baraka was a fresh face for the judiciary, Creuzot said. Almost all the judges at the time were white men in their 50s and had been career prosecutors when they took the bench, Creuzot said.
Baraka was younger. He had been a prosecutor and a defense attorney. And he was Black and Muslim.
"He was different from the other judges in that he probably saw more of the humanity of people than some of the other judges did," Creuzot said.
An eccentric figure in the often stodgy and stuffy legal world, Baraka was described by D Magazine as "a backsliding Muslim [but not a Black Muslim] who enjoys tobacco and alcohol."
"He is a devotee of Malcolm X who admires George Bush, a loner who holds elected office. He is a peaceful man who always carries a gun," the profile read.
'Thin Blue Line' case
One of Baraka's most notable cases involved the exoneration of a man who had been convicted of murder in the 1976 killing of Dallas police Officer Robert Wood.
Randall Dale Adams was convicted of Wood's death in 1977. The case against Adams was the subject of the 1988 Errol Morris documentary The Thin Blue Line, which uncovered evidence casting doubt on Adams' guilt.
Other judges and courts upheld Adams' conviction — and declined to give him a new hearing. Baraka did not.
During a hearing before Baraka, David Ray Harris, who was already on death row for another killing, and who had been a witness against Adams, recanted his testimony and indirectly implied that he, not Adams, was responsible for killing Wood.
After Baraka recommended Adams be granted a new trial — which he was — Dallas County District Attorney John Vance dropped the charges against him.
Baraka spent his last few years retired from his private law practice. He enjoyed watching movies, reading the news, playing solitaire on his phone and sitting on the porch of his home in DeSoto.
Belinda Baraka said her husband never bragged about his accomplishments nor pondered his legacy as a trailblazer.
"He did what he thought he could do the best he could during that era," she said. "Now, someone else is picking up the torch."
In addition to his wife, Baraka is survived by four children: Blake, Justin, Karson and Kyle Baraka. His family plans to hold a private service.
Born Larry Wallace, he grew up in a St. Louis housing project and came to Cornell College as a first-generation college student. Once on campus, however, he was shunned and threatened, according to a 1990 D Magazine article titled "The Riddle of Larry Baraka." The article states, "In his anger, Baraka renounced his Baptist faith and adopted the tenets of Islam espoused by his new hero, Malcolm X." He discarded the surname Wallace—'a name given to our family by slave owners'—and called himself Baraka, 'The Blessed.' "
Baraka received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center after being part of the CLEO (Counsel on Legal Educational Opportunity) program, designed to diversify the legal profession. He was hired as an assistant prosecutor by the Dallas County District Attorney, became the county's first Black felony prosecutor in 1978, and worked as a defense attorney before successfully running for the Criminal District Court Second Judicial seat, a position he held from 1985 to 1997. According to The Dallas Morning News article upon his death, Baraka's ascension "served as inspiration for up-and-coming Black lawyers in Dallas County."
Baraka is survived by his wife and four children.
______________________________________________________________________
Larry Baraka, a pioneering Black jurist in Dallas County, dies at 71
As the county's first Black felony prosecutor and its first elected Black district judge, he was an inspiration to many up-and-coming lawyers.
Larry W. Baraka, a pioneering jurist whose life traced a path from his childhood in the St. Louis housing projects to prominence as the first Black district judge ever elected in Dallas County, died Monday. He was 71.
Baraka's death was confirmed by his widow, Belinda, who said he died after an extended illness.
Baraka was born Larry Wallace and grew up in the Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis. In a 1990 D Magazine profile, he described the neighborhood as a "human garbage dump," where "crime and drugs and murder were just part of life."
"Almost every time I went outside, I would get in a [fight]," Baraka said in the profile. "Other kids resented me because I wouldn't join their gangs or go out and steal with them. There were some things I just wasn't going to do no matter how many times people beat me up."
Baraka attended Cornell College in Iowa before enrolling at the University of Houston to study law. After graduating, he was offered a job as an assistant prosecutor by then-Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade.
Quickly made his mark
Baraka quickly broke ground under Wade, becoming the county's first Black felony prosecutor in 1978. He also worked in private practice as a defense attorney before successfully running for the Criminal District Court 2 judicial seat.
His ascension served as inspiration for up-and-coming Black lawyers in Dallas County. Several of the most prominent said Baraka helped shape or inspire their careers.
"He was a hardworking guy," said former Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson. "He was tough. Some people liked him, some people didn't. I just loved the fact that he was committed to working, and he was diligent and he was stern."
Johnson said Baraka as judge saw "the person and not just a crime."
"He looked at whether or not your were going to work through the situation, and he was committed to helping you if you were committed to helping yourself."
Saw the humanity in people
Current District Attorney John Creuzot said he first knew Baraka when Baraka was a defense lawyer. The two squared off on a few cases in misdemeanor court, where Creuzot was a prosecutor, before Baraka was elected to Criminal District Court 2 in 1984.
Baraka was a fresh face for the judiciary, Creuzot said. Almost all the judges at the time were white men in their 50s and had been career prosecutors when they took the bench, Creuzot said.
Baraka was younger. He had been a prosecutor and a defense attorney. And he was Black and Muslim.
"He was different from the other judges in that he probably saw more of the humanity of people than some of the other judges did," Creuzot said.
An eccentric figure in the often stodgy and stuffy legal world, Baraka was described by D Magazine as "a backsliding Muslim [but not a Black Muslim] who enjoys tobacco and alcohol."
"He is a devotee of Malcolm X who admires George Bush, a loner who holds elected office. He is a peaceful man who always carries a gun," the profile read.
'Thin Blue Line' case
One of Baraka's most notable cases involved the exoneration of a man who had been convicted of murder in the 1976 killing of Dallas police Officer Robert Wood.
Randall Dale Adams was convicted of Wood's death in 1977. The case against Adams was the subject of the 1988 Errol Morris documentary The Thin Blue Line, which uncovered evidence casting doubt on Adams' guilt.
Other judges and courts upheld Adams' conviction — and declined to give him a new hearing. Baraka did not.
During a hearing before Baraka, David Ray Harris, who was already on death row for another killing, and who had been a witness against Adams, recanted his testimony and indirectly implied that he, not Adams, was responsible for killing Wood.
After Baraka recommended Adams be granted a new trial — which he was — Dallas County District Attorney John Vance dropped the charges against him.
Baraka spent his last few years retired from his private law practice. He enjoyed watching movies, reading the news, playing solitaire on his phone and sitting on the porch of his home in DeSoto.
Belinda Baraka said her husband never bragged about his accomplishments nor pondered his legacy as a trailblazer.
"He did what he thought he could do the best he could during that era," she said. "Now, someone else is picking up the torch."
In addition to his wife, Baraka is survived by four children: Blake, Justin, Karson and Kyle Baraka. His family plans to hold a private service.
Larry W. Baraka '73, the first Black district judge elected in Dallas County, Texas, died Dec. 6, 2021. He was 71.
Born Larry Wallace, he grew up in a St. Louis housing project and came to Cornell College as a first-generation college student. Once on campus, however, he was shunned and threatened, according to a 1990 D Magazine article titled "The Riddle of Larry Baraka." The article states, "In his anger, Baraka renounced his Baptist faith and adopted the tenets of Islam espoused by his new hero, Malcolm X." He discarded the surname Wallace—'a name given to our family by slave owners'—and called himself Baraka, 'The Blessed.' "
Baraka received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center after being part of the CLEO (Counsel on Legal Educational Opportunity) program, designed to diversify the legal profession. He was hired as an assistant prosecutor by the Dallas County District Attorney, became the county's first Black felony prosecutor in 1978, and worked as a defense attorney before successfully running for the Criminal District Court Second Judicial seat, a position he held from 1985 to 1997. According to The Dallas Morning News article upon his death, Baraka's ascension "served as inspiration for up-and-coming Black lawyers in Dallas County."
Baraka is survived by his wife and four children.
______________________________________________________________________
Larry Baraka, a pioneering Black jurist in Dallas County, dies at 71
As the county's first Black felony prosecutor and its first elected Black district judge, he was an inspiration to many up-and-coming lawyers.
Larry W. Baraka, a pioneering jurist whose life traced a path from his childhood in the St. Louis housing projects to prominence as the first Black district judge ever elected in Dallas County, died Monday. He was 71.
Baraka's death was confirmed by his widow, Belinda, who said he died after an extended illness.
Baraka was born Larry Wallace and grew up in the Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis. In a 1990 D Magazine profile, he described the neighborhood as a "human garbage dump," where "crime and drugs and murder were just part of life."
"Almost every time I went outside, I would get in a [fight]," Baraka said in the profile. "Other kids resented me because I wouldn't join their gangs or go out and steal with them. There were some things I just wasn't going to do no matter how many times people beat me up."
Baraka attended Cornell College in Iowa before enrolling at the University of Houston to study law. After graduating, he was offered a job as an assistant prosecutor by then-Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade.
Quickly made his mark
Baraka quickly broke ground under Wade, becoming the county's first Black felony prosecutor in 1978. He also worked in private practice as a defense attorney before successfully running for the Criminal District Court 2 judicial seat.
His ascension served as inspiration for up-and-coming Black lawyers in Dallas County. Several of the most prominent said Baraka helped shape or inspire their careers.
"He was a hardworking guy," said former Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson. "He was tough. Some people liked him, some people didn't. I just loved the fact that he was committed to working, and he was diligent and he was stern."
Johnson said Baraka as judge saw "the person and not just a crime."
"He looked at whether or not your were going to work through the situation, and he was committed to helping you if you were committed to helping yourself."
Saw the humanity in people
Current District Attorney John Creuzot said he first knew Baraka when Baraka was a defense lawyer. The two squared off on a few cases in misdemeanor court, where Creuzot was a prosecutor, before Baraka was elected to Criminal District Court 2 in 1984.
Baraka was a fresh face for the judiciary, Creuzot said. Almost all the judges at the time were white men in their 50s and had been career prosecutors when they took the bench, Creuzot said.
Baraka was younger. He had been a prosecutor and a defense attorney. And he was Black and Muslim.
"He was different from the other judges in that he probably saw more of the humanity of people than some of the other judges did," Creuzot said.
An eccentric figure in the often stodgy and stuffy legal world, Baraka was described by D Magazine as "a backsliding Muslim [but not a Black Muslim] who enjoys tobacco and alcohol."
"He is a devotee of Malcolm X who admires George Bush, a loner who holds elected office. He is a peaceful man who always carries a gun," the profile read.
'Thin Blue Line' case
One of Baraka's most notable cases involved the exoneration of a man who had been convicted of murder in the 1976 killing of Dallas police Officer Robert Wood.
Randall Dale Adams was convicted of Wood's death in 1977. The case against Adams was the subject of the 1988 Errol Morris documentary The Thin Blue Line, which uncovered evidence casting doubt on Adams' guilt.
Other judges and courts upheld Adams' conviction — and declined to give him a new hearing. Baraka did not.
During a hearing before Baraka, David Ray Harris, who was already on death row for another killing, and who had been a witness against Adams, recanted his testimony and indirectly implied that he, not Adams, was responsible for killing Wood.
After Baraka recommended Adams be granted a new trial — which he was — Dallas County District Attorney John Vance dropped the charges against him.
Baraka spent his last few years retired from his private law practice. He enjoyed watching movies, reading the news, playing solitaire on his phone and sitting on the porch of his home in DeSoto.
Belinda Baraka said her husband never bragged about his accomplishments nor pondered his legacy as a trailblazer.
"He did what he thought he could do the best he could during that era," she said. "Now, someone else is picking up the torch."
In addition to his wife, Baraka is survived by four children: Blake, Justin, Karson and Kyle Baraka. His family plans to hold a private service.
Born Larry Wallace, he grew up in a St. Louis housing project and came to Cornell College as a first-generation college student. Once on campus, however, he was shunned and threatened, according to a 1990 D Magazine article titled "The Riddle of Larry Baraka." The article states, "In his anger, Baraka renounced his Baptist faith and adopted the tenets of Islam espoused by his new hero, Malcolm X." He discarded the surname Wallace—'a name given to our family by slave owners'—and called himself Baraka, 'The Blessed.' "
Baraka received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center after being part of the CLEO (Counsel on Legal Educational Opportunity) program, designed to diversify the legal profession. He was hired as an assistant prosecutor by the Dallas County District Attorney, became the county's first Black felony prosecutor in 1978, and worked as a defense attorney before successfully running for the Criminal District Court Second Judicial seat, a position he held from 1985 to 1997. According to The Dallas Morning News article upon his death, Baraka's ascension "served as inspiration for up-and-coming Black lawyers in Dallas County."
Baraka is survived by his wife and four children.
______________________________________________________________________
Larry Baraka, a pioneering Black jurist in Dallas County, dies at 71
As the county's first Black felony prosecutor and its first elected Black district judge, he was an inspiration to many up-and-coming lawyers.
Larry W. Baraka, a pioneering jurist whose life traced a path from his childhood in the St. Louis housing projects to prominence as the first Black district judge ever elected in Dallas County, died Monday. He was 71.
Baraka's death was confirmed by his widow, Belinda, who said he died after an extended illness.
Baraka was born Larry Wallace and grew up in the Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis. In a 1990 D Magazine profile, he described the neighborhood as a "human garbage dump," where "crime and drugs and murder were just part of life."
"Almost every time I went outside, I would get in a [fight]," Baraka said in the profile. "Other kids resented me because I wouldn't join their gangs or go out and steal with them. There were some things I just wasn't going to do no matter how many times people beat me up."
Baraka attended Cornell College in Iowa before enrolling at the University of Houston to study law. After graduating, he was offered a job as an assistant prosecutor by then-Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade.
Quickly made his mark
Baraka quickly broke ground under Wade, becoming the county's first Black felony prosecutor in 1978. He also worked in private practice as a defense attorney before successfully running for the Criminal District Court 2 judicial seat.
His ascension served as inspiration for up-and-coming Black lawyers in Dallas County. Several of the most prominent said Baraka helped shape or inspire their careers.
"He was a hardworking guy," said former Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson. "He was tough. Some people liked him, some people didn't. I just loved the fact that he was committed to working, and he was diligent and he was stern."
Johnson said Baraka as judge saw "the person and not just a crime."
"He looked at whether or not your were going to work through the situation, and he was committed to helping you if you were committed to helping yourself."
Saw the humanity in people
Current District Attorney John Creuzot said he first knew Baraka when Baraka was a defense lawyer. The two squared off on a few cases in misdemeanor court, where Creuzot was a prosecutor, before Baraka was elected to Criminal District Court 2 in 1984.
Baraka was a fresh face for the judiciary, Creuzot said. Almost all the judges at the time were white men in their 50s and had been career prosecutors when they took the bench, Creuzot said.
Baraka was younger. He had been a prosecutor and a defense attorney. And he was Black and Muslim.
"He was different from the other judges in that he probably saw more of the humanity of people than some of the other judges did," Creuzot said.
An eccentric figure in the often stodgy and stuffy legal world, Baraka was described by D Magazine as "a backsliding Muslim [but not a Black Muslim] who enjoys tobacco and alcohol."
"He is a devotee of Malcolm X who admires George Bush, a loner who holds elected office. He is a peaceful man who always carries a gun," the profile read.
'Thin Blue Line' case
One of Baraka's most notable cases involved the exoneration of a man who had been convicted of murder in the 1976 killing of Dallas police Officer Robert Wood.
Randall Dale Adams was convicted of Wood's death in 1977. The case against Adams was the subject of the 1988 Errol Morris documentary The Thin Blue Line, which uncovered evidence casting doubt on Adams' guilt.
Other judges and courts upheld Adams' conviction — and declined to give him a new hearing. Baraka did not.
During a hearing before Baraka, David Ray Harris, who was already on death row for another killing, and who had been a witness against Adams, recanted his testimony and indirectly implied that he, not Adams, was responsible for killing Wood.
After Baraka recommended Adams be granted a new trial — which he was — Dallas County District Attorney John Vance dropped the charges against him.
Baraka spent his last few years retired from his private law practice. He enjoyed watching movies, reading the news, playing solitaire on his phone and sitting on the porch of his home in DeSoto.
Belinda Baraka said her husband never bragged about his accomplishments nor pondered his legacy as a trailblazer.
"He did what he thought he could do the best he could during that era," she said. "Now, someone else is picking up the torch."
In addition to his wife, Baraka is survived by four children: Blake, Justin, Karson and Kyle Baraka. His family plans to hold a private service.
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