Barbour Finally Addresses Pardons; Insults Mississippians

(Posted from Jackson Free Press)

Lobbyist and former Gov. Haley Barbour finally addressed the firestorm around his 200+ pardons last night in an email statement. Here it is, verbatim; please read my comments below it:

Statement from the Office of Former Gov. Haley Barbour

Some people have misunderstood the clemency process and think that all or most of the individuals who received clemency from former Gov. Haley Barbour were in jail at the time of their release. Approximately 90 percent of these individuals were no longer in custody, and a majority of them had been out for years. The pardons were intended to allow them to find gainful employment or acquire professional licenses as well as hunt and vote. My decision about clemency was based upon the recommendation of the Parole Board in more than 90 percent of the cases. The 26 people released from custody due to clemency is just slightly more than one-tenth of 1 percent of those incarcerated.

Half of the people who were incarcerated and released were placed on indefinite suspension due to medical reasons because their health care expenses while incarcerated were costing the state so much money. These individuals suffer from severe chronic illnesses, are on dialysis, in wheelchairs or are bedridden. They are not threats to society but if any of them commits an offense – even a misdemeanor – they’ll be returned to custody to serve out their term.

Of the inmates released for medical reasons, a small number were placed on house arrest, and all still remain under the supervision of the Department of Corrections.

In Custody at Time of Release 26 (12 percent)
Medical Release/Remain Under MDOC Supervision (13)
Suspended Sentence/ Remain Under MDOC Supervision (3)

Previously Completed Incarceration at Time of Clemency 189 (88 percent)
Total 215
Source: Mississippi Department of Corrections
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Back to my comments:

I love how the former governor insults the intelligence of Mississippians in the very first line. We don't understand clemency? Mr. Barbour, you didn't bother to explain anything about what you were doing to the people of Mississippi until the above statement, and still very little. The long list you released to the public on your way out of town did not include information people needed—it was a laundry list of criminals that you are giving relief to, in one way or another. People were left trying to sort it out for ourselves, and living in fear of what it means for our communities.

Secondly, are we supposed to feel better that perhaps you're only trying to release four, or eight, or 27 convicted murderers and/or sex offenders? Are we supposed to be comforted that all you're trying to do is allow the convicted criminals already out the right to buy guns (which you hide beneath the word "hunt"?). And with all the people, especially African Americans, in Mississippi prisons or with felony records for relatively minor drug crimes, are we supposed to be comforted that you are choosing which felons you believe should have the right to vote once they've served their time? (Not including, we will note, the Scott Sisters.)

Barbour, you are sending the message that some felons (the ones you like? the ones whose families supported you?) are more worthy of getting their rights back (to vote and buy guns; to get jobs, etc.) after they served their time than others. That sounds a whole lot like you're trying to play God on your way out of town.

Meantime, you could have used the political capital you are now burning through to help bring needed and worthy change to Mississippi. You could have supported intelligent and humane reform to the laws that have allowed such unequal treatment of the accused in our state. You could have called for reform to the laws not allowing felons to retrieve many rights after serving their time. You could have called for serious reform to a criminal-justice system that has kept a number of men (yes, black men and perhaps more than we know) in prison for heinous crimes for which prosecutors and others hid evidence that would have freed them, such as Cedric Willis. You could have been a leader on making our criminal-justice system more humane.

Instead, you won your office by running down our majority-black capital city, mailing predictable and inaccurate crime rhetoric about Jackson to white neighborhoods; now you leave office by pardoning vicious criminals who could go back and hurt others throughout the state. And you did it without standing up like a decent human being and telling the state why you were doing it before we found out. And you did it without talking to the families, or returning their calls. And you did it without ever bothering to explain why when you started pardoning vicious killers of wives and girlfriends back in 2008.

Mr. Barbour, this is shameful. And it is your legacy in Mississippi, and that is your own fault. You should take responsibility and apologize to your home state for what you've put us through.

Read more: http://www.barbourwatch.com
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The Death Penalty, from Jackson, GA to Jackson, MS

The small town of Jackson, GA home of Georgia State Prison became the center of the most recent death penalty debate when the 4^rd and final attempt to save a potentially innocent man from state sponsored death by lethal injection was denied. At 11:08 PM on Wednesday September 28^th Troy Anthony Davis was executed against the will of what seemed to be the whole world. Congressmen and women, a former President, the Pope, and millions of Troy Davis supporters begged the State of Georgia to pardon Mr. Davis because there was still too much doubt remaining to go through with his death sentence, questioning the 1991 conviction of murder of an off duty Savannah, GA police officer Mark McPhail.  Troy Davis professed his innocence down to his last words,
 “despite the situation you are in, I'm not the one who personally killed your son, your father, your brother. I am innocent. The incident that happened that night is not my fault. I did not have a gun. All I can ask ... is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth. I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight. For those about to take my life, God have mercy on your souls. And may God bless your souls." 

With the execution of Troy Davis, civil rights and social justice organizations like the NAACP, and Amnesty International are pushing harder for the abolishment of the death penalty challenging the 1976 US Supreme Court ruling on Furman vs. Georgia which reaffirmed the United States position on the use of capital punishment after a four year nationwide moratorium on executions resulting from the Supreme Court case of Gregg vs. Georgia. In the case of Furman vs. Georgia the US Supreme Court set out two guidelines for states who wished to adopt capital punishment as a sentence for crimes:

·         First, the scheme must provide objective criteria to direct and limit the death sentencing discretion. The objectiveness of these criteria must in turn be ensured by appellate review of all death sentences.

·         Second, the scheme must allow the sentencer (whether judge or jury) to take into account the character and record of an individual defendant.

The State of Georgia followed through with both conditions set forth by the US Supreme Court that constitutionalize the use of the death penalty in the case of Troy Davis. In fact Mr. Davis was afforded a rare intervention in his case by the US Supreme Court in 2009 when they ordered the State of Georgia to review Mr. Davis case to determine if there was any “new” evidence that may lead to the overturning of his 1991 murder conviction. Unfortunately Mr. Davis’s defense team could not produce any evidence to the Georgia court that proved any reasonable doubt, and his sentence of death by lethal injection was set for September 21, 2011. On the September 21, 2011 Troy Davis’s lawyers filed a request for a stay on his execution with the US Supreme Court and the court postponed the carrying out of his sentence upon further review. However, the Supreme Court rejected petitions presented to them and the date and time of Mr. Davis’s execution was set for September 28^th, 2011 at 7PM.
On the day of Mr. Davis’s execution thousands of supporters for the life of Troy Davis and proponents of the death penalty alike stood outside of the Georgia correctional facility that houses their death chamber in protest and in hope that something could be done to stop the State of Georgia of going through with what may be the death of an innocent man. As Troy Davis was strapped to the gurney and the intravenous apparatus was inserted in his arm his lawyers again looked to the US Supreme Court to issue another stay on his execution. In the execution room sat reporters, those who were responsible for Mr. Davis’s conviction, community members, and the family of Mark Mcphail. Mcphail’s family wanted to see troy Davis receive the same fate of their late family member and pressured the Georgia parole board to go through with what they considered justice.  In what seemed like forever (4 hours) the US Supreme Court denied the final request and Troy Davis was put to death. Some civil rights activist have spoken out and said that making Mr. Davis wait on the gurney with an IV in his arm for four hours past the time that he was scheduled to die was in itself cruel and unusual. Rev. Raphael Warnock pastor to the Davis family said while waiting,
"Certainly we're glad that Troy Davis is still alive, but we are still witnessing, in my estimation, a civil right violation and a human rights violation in the worst way unfolds before our very eyes. This is Troy Davis’ fourth execution date. I’m glad that he’s alive, but that in and of itself is cruel and unusual punishment. America can do much better than this."
Rev. Warnocks sentiments are echoed across the globe as death penalty abolitionist set forth a mission to end the death penalty in America once and for all.

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434 Miles away from Jackson, GA sits Jackson, MS the place where 94 days prior to the execution of Troy Davis, James Craig Anderson (an African American) was killed by a group of Caucasian teenagers who allegedly set out to go into neighboring town of Jackson, MS from nearby Brandon, MS to “Mess with some niggers.” Seven teens in total where involved in the beating and subsequent death of Mr. Anderson on the night of June 26, 2011 however, only two of the individuals were initially charged, Deryl Dedmon Jr. and John Aaron Rice who were both 18 at the time of the crime. Dedmon was the only one charged with the murder of Mr. Anderson, Rice was initially charged with the same but had his charges reduced to simple assault by Hinds County Judge William Barnett. Deryl Dedmon’s charges where upgraded to capital murder by Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith, making Dedmon eligible to receive the death sentence if he is convicted. District Attorney Smith also made it very clear that he believes that the murder of Mr. Anderson is a hate crime and he intends to pursue it in such manner.
Amongst the cries for justice from a community shocked by a heinous crime of hate, is the voice of James Anderson’s sister, Barbara Anderson Young who does not want the death penalty for those convicted of the murder of her brother, which is much different from the stance taken by the family of the murdered police office in the Troy Davis case. She said in a letter to the Hinds county D.A. “We ask that you not seek the death penalty for anyone involved in James’ murder...Our opposition to the death penalty is deeply rooted in our religious faith, a faith that was central in James’ life as well…..Our Savior Jesus Christ rejected the old way of an eye for an eye and taught us instead to turn the other cheek. He died that we might have everlasting life and, in doing so, asked that the lives of the two common criminals nailed to the crosses beside him be spared….We also oppose the death penalty because it historically has been used in Mississippi and the South primarily against people of color for killing white…Executing James’ killers will not help to balance the scales. But sparing them may help to spark a dialogue that one day will lead to the elimination of capital punishment…Those responsible for James’ death not only ended the life of a talented and wonderful man. They also caused our family unspeakable pain and grief. But our loss will not be lessened by the state taking the life of another,” D.A. Smith commented about the letter to a local news reporter “It’s most likely that we will honor the family’s wishes, but we will see whether or not things will change over the course of this proceeding.”
As one case ends with the conviction of death of a potentially innocent man by means of lethal injection, another case begins with the possibility of the same conviction in the State of Mississippi. As the death penalty debate continues it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be when it comes to the fate of those convicted of killing Mr. James Anderson, and how it will affect America’s stance on capital punishment.  

Breaking News: Judge Sets Troy Davis Execution Date for Sep. 21 | via- NAACP.ORG

Breaking News: Judge Sets Troy Davis Execution Date for Sep. 21 | NAACP

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We’ve just received terrible news: the State of Georgia has set Troy Davis’s execution date for midnight on September 21, just two weeks from today.

This is our justice system at its very worst, and we are alive to witness it. There is just too much doubt.

Consider the situation: Seven out of nine witnesses have recanted their statements; several more have come forward to identify one of the two remaining witnesses as the actual killer; and, earlier this summer, the judge in his final hearing labeled the case against troy as “not ironclad.” Nonetheless, the state of Georgia is set to execute Troy anyway.

Time is running out, and this is truly Troy’s last chance for life.

But through the frustration and the tears, there is one thing to remain focused on: We are now Troy Davis’ last hope. And I know we won’t let him down.

There are three steps you can take to help Troy:

1. Sign the petition to the Board of Pardons and pass this on to your friends and family. Each name means a more united front for justice:

http://action.naacp.org/Name-Wall

2. Send a message of support to Troy as he fights for justice on what may be the final days of his life.

http://action.naacp.org/LettersOfSupport

3. Make sure everyone knows about this injustice. Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter (hashtag #TooMuchDoubt) so that Troy Davis’ story can be heard. We still have a chance to save his life, but only if people are willing to speak out against injustice.

Today, the State of Georgia has declared their intention to execute a man even though the majority of the people who put him on the row now say he is innocent many implicate one of the other witnesses as the actual killer. Now that a date has been set, we cannot relent. We must redouble our efforts. Thank you for your help.

Family of alleged Mississippi hate killing victim files suit

Jackson, Mississippi (CNN) -- The family of an African-American man who was killed when he was beaten and run over with a truck has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a group of teens alleged to have been present at the time of the attack.
The lawsuit -- filed Tuesday in a Mississippi district court -- alleges that seven white teenagers "set out on a mission" to find and harass African-Americans.
The lawsuit, filed by Anderson's sister, mother and two brothers, seeks a jury trial and damages. It names not only the two teens facing criminal charges in the incident but others who, the suit alleges, acted as lookouts and prevented Anderson from escaping. Read more.....

Link to Lawsuit Click here 

Nation's Jails Struggle With Mentally Ill Prisoners

Via npr.org
September 4, 2011
Three hundred and fifty thousand: That's a conservative estimate for the number of offenders with mental illness confined in America's prisons and jails.
More Americans receive mental health treatment in prisons and jails than in hospitals or treatment centers. In fact, the three largest inpatient psychiatric facilities in the country are jails: Los Angeles County Jail, Rikers Island Jail in New York City and Cook County Jail in Illinois.
"We have a criminal justice system which has a very clear purpose: You get arrested. We want justice. We try you, and justice hopefully prevails. It was never built to handle people that were very, very ill, at least with mental illness," Judge Steve Leifman tells Laura Sullivan, guest host of weekends on All Things Considered.  read more....

Court: Panelist secretly blocked ex-Panther's parole

 ATLANTA (AP) -- A former Black Panther convicted of murdering a California park ranger is getting another shot at freedom after a federal appeals court found that a parole official improperly worked to keep him behind bars by secretly handing over information to Justice Department officials.
The Atlanta-based 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision last week found that then-U.S. Parole Commissioner Deborah Spagnoli "impermissibly tainted" the board's decision to delay Veronza Bowers' release when she wrote a memo to government attorneys about the case. Her actions, the three-judge panel said, violated the commission's mandate as an independent arbiter. from thegrio.com Read more....

Deputy indicted for allowing dog to attack suspect - The Mississippi Link: News: billy charles scott, jr. arrested,

Deputy indicted for allowing dog to attack suspect - The Mississippi Link: News: billy charles scott, jr. arrested,: OXFORD - A Choctaw County Sheriff's Deputy has
been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly allowing his
police dog to attack a black m…