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LAUNCH OF NEW
EMERGENCY FUND
French associations SAVE and Lutte Pour la Justice (LPJ) are launching an Emergency Fund
to provide support to the legal defense on death row in the USA.
PLEASE HELP!
We would like to ask you to help us in this difficult work by making whatever small donation you can -- any donation of 20 euros or more, could make you become a member of our associations at your request and get updates.
Our goal is to be able to contribute to the legal defense of the prisoner whose need can become extremely urgent, for example when there is an upcoming deadline to file an appeal or an execution date. Examples are numerous and may include needs for investigations, expertises, DNA tests and other such.
The emergency fund will also help provide prisoners with the tools to manage their defense the best possible way or help the defense of others (when they have become jailhouse lawyers). Read more about our current project below.
Who are we?
SAVE is a small structure which has existed for nearly three years and is monitoring a list of over 100 innocence claims (sometimes involved in the cases), some of whom have already benefited from exonerations, executions stays, clemency, new hearings, etc ;
LPJ is a French association founded in 1999, which has around 200 active members, and/or supporters. It is an association recognised of public interest in France (tax deductible donations). LPJ has been supporting a number of prisoners in various ways; some of them have had their death sentence commuted to life or have benefited from a new trial, a small number have been exonerated.
Together SAVE and LPJ work in complementary ways, along the common goal of trying to bring justice.
We hope that you will be helping us in this ambitious breakthrough project, that could help save lives. Please contact SAVE or LPJ to find out more
Thank you.
SAVE & LPJ
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Background
Prisoners on death row have law libraries to which they are allowed to go to for a certain amount of time a week. However, for some of them, this is not enough as they are trying to help others with their case, and it is best for them to have the basic law books actually in their cell.
How will the new set of law books will be used
Bear, one of the prisoners on death row who we support desperately needs an updated version of his law books, which are too old. Not only does he help other prisoners with his appeals, he also teaches others.
Bear was sentenced to die in the Electric Chair in April, 1986, for a murder he has always denied committing. He knew the victim, a Reverend's wife. The Reverend himself had serious doubts about Bear's guilt even during the trial. Bear had previously lived with the couple and was a frequent visitor. During the ensuing litigation Bear won a re-trial at the Florida Supreme Court, but it was then taken away from him.
On death row, Bear made then a deal with a jail house lawyer, who said he would teach him as much as he could, provided that in return, Bear would not charge anyone inside the prison to help them and he would use the jail house's lawyer teachings to teach others. He says:
* Receit of the purchase of the books can be provided on demand, once we can buy them. Any small donation can help, thank you!
Prisoners on death row have law libraries to which they are allowed to go to for a certain amount of time a week. However, for some of them, this is not enough as they are trying to help others with their case, and it is best for them to have the basic law books actually in their cell.
How will the new set of law books will be used
Bear, one of the prisoners on death row who we support desperately needs an updated version of his law books, which are too old. Not only does he help other prisoners with his appeals, he also teaches others.
Bear was sentenced to die in the Electric Chair in April, 1986, for a murder he has always denied committing. He knew the victim, a Reverend's wife. The Reverend himself had serious doubts about Bear's guilt even during the trial. Bear had previously lived with the couple and was a frequent visitor. During the ensuing litigation Bear won a re-trial at the Florida Supreme Court, but it was then taken away from him.
On death row, Bear made then a deal with a jail house lawyer, who said he would teach him as much as he could, provided that in return, Bear would not charge anyone inside the prison to help them and he would use the jail house's lawyer teachings to teach others. He says:
* Receit of the purchase of the books can be provided on demand, once we can buy them. Any small donation can help, thank you!
My friends and people that take the time to know me all believe in me and know
there is no way I would ever have done this crime, They are just not able to help the way you are trying to help me. (...)
I could have really used all your help in 2002 before all my issues were exhausted, now it is just too late to help with my case, so I do all I can to help others so they do not end up in the situation as I am in.
Everyone feels they have been treated unfairly by the system, but do not know how to express it in a way that courts will pay attention to,or they feel their lawyers is not listening to them, and there are some lawyers who do not have a clue what they are doing. So I help these guys with all this stuff.
I sometimes just listen to the guy and what he is trying to explain to his lawyer, so I end up writing it all out for him in legal terms so his lawyer will understand what the guy has been trying to tell him. I also write a lot of motions to remove counsel due to a conflict of interest. I file motions to remove prosecutors for misconduct (...). I write notice of appeals and around six other motions just to get evidence or records. For every motion or notice I write, there is a rule, law or both that has to be quoted and this where I need law books at my fingers so I can look up and quote the proper rule or law that makes the motion or legal notice legal in the courts.
I've never kept count of how many guys I've helped. For 10 years (1994 to 2004), I kept a steady case land of 17 cases and anytime for whatever reason (e.g. new lawyer appointed) that I was no longer working on that case, there would be someone to take that spot.
But 17 cases was all I could handle.
I would like to think I have made a difference (...).
New, updated law books would make a significant difference to him - Please help Bear get a new set of law books.
The law books will be bought by our associations and sent to him directly. Receit available on demand.
The law books will be bought by our associations and sent to him directly. Receit available on demand.
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