I’m not sure how or when I first came across the story of Jim Gordon, but it’s been one of my “rabbit holes” ever since. His story, unlike others I’ve been fascinated by, is very hard to uncover.
Gordon was the go-to studio and touring drummer of the 1960s and ‘70s. He played on some of the biggest tracks of the era, the most famous being Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla.”
In fact, Gordon wrote the famed coda, which means that as a co-writer he’s still collecting royalties every time the song is played. He even won a Grammy (in absentia) in 1992 after Eric Clapton released his unplugged version of the classic.
Here’s the crazy part about Gordon’s story. He’s currently serving a 16-year sentence in a California medical penitentiary facility. Gordon suffered from schizophrenia, and in 1983 he had a psychotic episode, with voices in his head instructing him to murder his mother (which he did). Despite 37 years having passed since his 1984 sentence, Gordon has never been granted parole and prison officials have stated that he continues to be a danger to himself and others — although according to Billboard he has had no violent episodes since 2001.
You’ve probably figured out why Gordon is on my mind. Last week, a different California prisoner, also incarcerated for homicide, was recommended parole. In 1968, Palestinian-American Sirhan Sirhan murdered Robert F. Kennedy, possibly forever changing the trajectory of US and global history. With Kennedy immensely popular and poised to win the Democratic nomination, his assassination was truly one of the biggest “what if” moments of the 20th century.
I tend not to support lifelong incarceration, and the parole board said Sirhan was repentant and unlikely to reoffend. His incarceration gets at the heart of the debate on the purpose of prison: rehabilitation or punishment. For many, from a moral point of a view, regardless of whether the prisoner has reformed, a perpetrator of a crime of that magnitude cannot be shown leniency.
Unlike Gordon, Sirhan would likely not pose a safety threat, at least not in America, as reports are that he would be deported to Jordan. Then again, there are concerns that Sirhan could become a symbolic figure and foment violence — which, if that came to pass, would impact the safety of world Jewry.
On balance, especially considering the Kennedy’s family opposition, freeing Sirhan is not the choice I would make. We’ll have to see what the California governor decides.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at [email protected].
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