On Guard

Louisiana’s Angola 3: 100 Years of Solitude

Thirty nine years ago, three young black men were put in solitary confinement.  Two are still there.

Collectively they have spent more than 100 years in isolation, most of it at the notorious Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

The “Angola 3″ maintain they were targeted for speaking out against inhumane treatment and racial segregation in the prison, and are now fighting for justice and recognition of their cruel, endless years in the hole.

Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace, originally convicted of unrelated cases of armed robbery, were convicted of the murder of a prison guard in 1972.  Robert King, locked up for robbery, was also convicted of murder once he was in the prison. The most fortunate of the three, his conviction was overturned in 2001, and he was released after 29 years of isolation.

Meanwhile, the continued detention of Woodfox and Wallace showcases the failing of the Louisiana justice system. In a new report, Amnesty International notes that no physical evidence links Woodfox and Wallace to the murder. On top of that, potentially favorable DNA evidence was lost.  The convictions were based on questionable inmate testimony. Best of all, it seems prison officials bribed the main eyewitness into giving statements against the men.  Even the widow of the prison guard has expressed skepticism, saying in 2008,

“If they did not do this – and I believe that they didn’t – they have been living a nightmare for 36 years!”

CONTINUES AT: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/louisianas-angola-3-100-years-of-solitude/

Andrew DeYoung was executed in Georgia on July 21st, 2011

Andrew DeYoung, 37, was put to death by lethal injection Thursday night at the state prison in Jackson after courts turned down his appeals. The courts allowed what was likely the nation's first video-recorded execution in almost two decades. Andrew was pronounced dead at 8:04 p.m. EDT. DeYoung blinked his eyes and swallowed for about two minutes, and then his eyes closed and he became still. May he rest in peace.

Mark Stroman was executed in Texas on July 20, 2011

Mark Stroman, 41, was lethally injected shortly after his final court appeal was rejected. He was pronounced dead at 8:53 p.m. at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Huntsville Unit. The lone survivor, Rais Bhuiyan, unsuccessfully sued to stop the execution, saying his Muslim beliefs told him to forgive Stroman. The courts denied his requests.

From the death chamber, Stroman asked for God's grace and said hate in the world had to stop. "Even though I lay on this gurney, seconds away from my death, I am at total peace," he said. He later called himself "still a proud American, Texas loud, Texas proud." May he rest in peace.

Thomas Paul West was executed in Arizona on July 19th, 2011

Thomas Paul West, 52, was pronounced dead at the state prison in Florence at 11:10 a.m., about four minutes after he was declared sedated. West narrowly lost his pleas for mercy from Arizona's clemency board. It voted 3-2 Thursday to allow the execution. May he rest in peace.

Amnesty Intl: Shooting survivor opposes gunman Mark Stroman' s execution

PLEASE SEND APPEALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND BEFORE 20 JULY 2011

Mark Stroman is due to be executed in Texas on 20 July. He was sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of an Indian immigrant following the 9/11 attacks in the USA. A Bangladeshi man he also shot during a series of post-9/11 crimes is calling for clemency.

Clemency Section, Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
8610 Shoal Creek Blvd. Austin, TX 78757-6814, USA
Fax +1 512 467 0945
Email: bpp-pio@tdcj.state.tx.us
Salutation: Dear Board members

Governor Rick Perry, Office of the Governor,
PO Box 12428, Austin, Texas 78711-2428,
USA
Fax: + 1 512 463 1849
Salutation: Dear Governor
Salutation: Dear Board members

http://www.isavelives.be/en/node/7473

The divided Supreme Court denies justice yet again

An argument that has been ignored at the peril of every American citizen traveling abroad, and at the reputation (such as it is) of the US in making, recognizing and abiding by international treaties.
And for what? To perform an act of needless human butchery.
Justice Stephen G. Breyer, in a dissent joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, wrote that the government’s request was modest, given that allowing the execution to proceed would, in the solicitor general’s words, “cause irreparable harm” to “foreign-policy interests of the highest order” and endanger Americans traveling abroad.

The court should defer to the executive branch’s assessment, Justice Breyer wrote, as “the Court has long recognized the president’s special constitutionally based authority in matters of foreign relations.”

He proposed issuing “a brief stay until the end of September” to allow Congress time to act.

“In reaching its contrary conclusion,” Justice Breyer wrote, “the Court ignores the appeal of the president in a matter related to foreign affairs, it substitutes its own views about the likelihood of congressional action for the views of executive branch officials who have consulted with members of Congress, and it denies the request by four members of the Court to delay the execution until the Court can discuss the matter at conference in September. In my view, the Court is wrong in each respect.”

Humberto Leal Jr. was executed in Texas on July 7th, 2011

In a 5-to-4 decision that split along ideological lines, the Supreme Court on Thursday evening rebuffed a request from the Obama administration that it stay the execution of Humberto Leal in Texas. He was executed about an hour later. In 2004, the International Court of Justice in The Hague found that Mexican inmates had been denied their rights under the Vienna Convention. The convention requires that foreigners detained abroad be told they may contact consular officials.

Humberto used his last words to apologize to both his family and the family of his victim, a San Antonio teen. “I have hurt a lot of people,” he said. “Let this be final and be done. I take the full blame for this. I am sorry and forgive me, I am truly sorry.” Witnessing his execution was his attorney Sandra Babcock, his sister and three friends. The family of his 16-year-old victim, Adria Sauceda, was not present. Leal began his last statement at 6:10 p.m. and the lethal dose of drugs was administered a minute later. “I am sorry for the victim's family and what I had did,” he continued. “May they forgive me. I don't know if you believe me.” Leal ended by saying, “One more thing, Viva Mexico, Viva Mexico.”  He was pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m.  May he rest in peace.

Richard Bible was executed in Arizona on June 30th, 2011

49 year old Richard Bible was excuted by lethal injection. His final words were "Thank you to my family and my lawyers. I love you all. Everything's ok." May he rest in peace.