Jimmy Marks

Jimmy Marks (February 14, 1945 – June 27, 2007) was a Romani American who lived in Spokane, Washington. Marks' clan are part of the Romanian Gypsies. He referred to himself as a "Rom" [http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=10472] .

Marks became widely known in 1986 when the Spokane police department raided his home, performed searches, confiscated property, $1.6 million in cash, and $160,000 in jewelry, without a valid search warrant. The police claimed that 35 items were from burglaries [http://www.columbia.edu/~lnp3/mydocs/culture/American_Gypsy.htm] .

The Marks' claimed that the cash was being held for other Romani families who did not trust banks. Marks brought suit against the city of Spokane for $59 million [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/29/AR2007062902414.html?nav=hcmodule] , and after 11 years the case was settled out of court for $1.43 million [http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=10472] . The lawsuit has been cited as a landmark case in the civil rights of Romani Americans fact|date=June 2007.

External links

* [http://www.americangypsy.com/ American Gypsy: A Stranger in Everybody's Land] a documentary about Marks by Jasmine Dellal
* [http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=10472] Spokesman Review Obituary
* [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003764912_webjimmy27m.html] Seattle Times Obituary
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/29/AR2007062902414.html?nav=hcmodule] Washington Post Obituary