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Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2008 6:58 pm

FOR DAMIEN: BLOG UPDATE

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

***update*** 50 State Challenge for the West Memphis Three


Hello Folks,

I get emails constantly from folks asking to help, not knowing what to do and such. Here's a challenge I have for us. I want to get an event in every state by end of October. Will you help me?


Damien, Jessie and Jason will go to their hearings Sept. 8 - Oct. 3rd and right now more than ever we need events to raise funds/awareness.


I'm asking that you call out to your friends. Many of us know folks that live in different states. Many of us know someone that can and would help us.


If you want to do something outside the 50 states, please do join in. We want to show Arkansas we are watching them. We aren't going to allow this travesty of justice to continue any longer.


Put together an event for the WM3 in your area. Calling all performers, artists who can help make this happen in your area. I will connect as many folks together in every state possible.



What does an event have to be? Anything. You can have a bake sale at your school, kissing booth, live music event, movie night at a local theatre or someones home, church, community center. Have music and roller derby girls, burlesque dancers, mix things up.



Special speakers can come from organizations in your area. This case has everything to do with civil rights, human rights and the death penalty so you can definitely call on these organizations to help out and provide speakers for your event.


Do you know someone or of someone in your area that has been exonerated? Have them come speak at your event. Always be certain to be clear with EVERYONE that you are raising funds/awareness for the WM3, that no payment is being exchanged. Unless you have something to offer them. Sometimes that exchange can just be the fact they get to be on stage to tell their story to others. Think of other ways of exchange you may be able to provide, if this bothers you so much. It doesn't have to be about an exchange of money.



You can email me at velaent@gmail.com and if anyone is in your area I will
connect you as soon as I get emails coming in. I will acknowledge all emails unless they are hateful and aren't related. I will give you a checklist or outline on how to put together a benefit. Many have found that it was helpful and this is there first time to put together an event. You can too.



Thanks for all your help. The GREEN states have folks working something or want to work on an event, if you want to volunteer or help email velaent@gmail.com. Are you a promoter and you want to do something, a venue owner? Please email and let us know. I can connect you with other folks in your area. Again, Thanks.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona

Colorado
Delaware

Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Maine
Maryland

Minnesota
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New York
North Dakota
Oklahoma

Rhode Island
South Carolina
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wyoming



Arkansas (Jonesboro) - needs someone to help co-organize

California – (Los Angeles) – volunteers needed

Connecticut (Stamford), (Mystic) - need volunteers for both


Florida - (Orlando) - volunteers needed, (Jacksonville) http://www.myspace.com/doozerspub May 30/May 31st for WM3 WAD

Illinois - (Chicago) - volunteers needed

Indiana - (Indianapolis) - volunteers needed http://www.myspace.com/wm3indybenefit

Iowa - (Iowa City)

Kansas (Topeka)

http://wm3.org/live/newsevents/eventsitem.php?index=1&events_Id=148

http://wm3.org/live/newsevents/eventsitem.php?index=1&events_Id=149

Kentucky (Louisville) - volunteers needed

Louisiana - (New Orleans)

Massachusetts - event taking place with Mongrel & Scarecrow Hill, both big supporters of the WM3, see profile pic for flyer artwork

check out http://www. myspace. com/MONGREL or http://www. myspace. com/ScarecrowHill for information about the 3 benefits shows going on in MA May 30th to June 1st

Michigan (Bay City) - looking for volunteers to help, already has venue and event organizer in place

Missouri - (St. Louis) - volunteers needed

Nevada - (Las Vegas)

New Jersey - looking for volunteers/venue, already has event organizers and other volunteers as well as some talent in place

New Mexico (Albuquerque) - volunteers needed

North Carolina - (Asheville) - volunteers needed

Ohio - (Cleveland) - volunteers needed

Oregon - (Portland) - volunteers needed

Pennsylvania - (Philadelphia) - looking for volunteers

South Dakota (Pierre) - volunteers needed

Tennessee (Dyersburg) - looking for volunteers

Texas - (San Antonio) , (Dallas), (Paris) - looking for volunteers

Virginia - (Clintwood) - volunteers needed

Washington - (Seattle) - event coordinator needed, have a band and some volunteers but need more.

Wisconsin - (Milwaukee) - volunteers needed
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2008 6:59 pm

Thursday, May 22, 2008 (FOR DAMIEN BLOG)

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=41045221&blogID=397713697&Mytoken=65BEB6F6-2048-4B46-8DE8B31C9F3D068832609165




Look where we are...

Damien Echols Defense Fund "causes" on MySpace - http://www. causes. com/myspace/causes/87903?recruiter_id=15120360

Help us stay ranked at the top...get others to join.


Ranked 1st among all causes in new members yesterday


Ranked 1st among all Public Advocacy causes in new members in the past week


Ranked 4th among small Public Advocacy causes in new members in the past month

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"If we don't hurry, if we don't hustle, if we don't raise money, if we don't get them out, eventually…soon we will know in this nation, by clear DNA evidence that we've killed an innocent man.

" John Grisham



http://www. innocenceproject. org/news/playvideo. php?file=/Images/1359/grisham_fritz. wmv&title=Dennis%20and%20Peggy%20Dance,%20and%20John%20Grisham%20discusses%20The%20Innocent%20Man&time=03:07
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2008 12:07 am

Friday, May 23, 2008: FOR DAMIEN BLOG

The Gutter Twins—Free the West Memphis Three.


SP20 - Who gets the money
By chrisj@subpop.com (Chris Jacobs)
The Gutter Twins—Free the West Memphis Three. This is the Defense Fund for the West Memphis 3 – three teenagers convicted of a horrible crime because of the music they listened to and the way they dressed. ...
Sub Pop Records, The Big Bag of Beans - http://www.subpop.com

Prosecutor misconduct: Little, no recourse for the wronged
Frost Illustrated - Fort Wayne,IN,USA
These DNA exoneration cases have provided irrefutable proof that wrongful convictions are not isolated or rare events, but result from rampant systemic ...


http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=41045221&blogID=398386719
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2008 10:32 am

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Help us stay in the top, recruit more folks...

http://www. causes. com/myspace/cause_memberships/re...


Come join my cause: Damien Echols Defense Fund! You'll get a profile badge to show your support!

Please help me support Damien Echols Defense Fund!


Ranked 1st among all Public Advocacy causes in new members yesterday


Ranked 1st among all Public Advocacy causes in new members in the past week


Ranked 1st among small causes in new members in the past month


9:05 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment -



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"Bratty Mama Leci"



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Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2008 10:46 am

On this thread, we can discuss things also. It's mainly for any new events being held for the three murdered boys, their families, and the three imprisoned... as well as updates and blogs for the WM3.
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2008 2:02 pm

West Memphis Worldwide Awareness Day

User Rating: / 1

West Memphis Three
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
June 3, 2007 marks the 14-year anniversary of the arrests of Damien
Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin.

These men have been locked up for almost a decade and a half for something they did not do, and the many efforts to expose what happened to them in those Arkansas courtrooms is even more powerful and committed than ever. Time hasn't diminished the outrage or the frustration over verdicts that grow even more absurd as the years have passed and more is learned about what really happened to the murder victims.

West Memphis Three Worldwide Awareness Day is a way for people all over the world to come together to organize their own benefits, awareness-raising and fundraising events to help keep this tragic injustice in the public eye and to generate funding for the ongoing legal and investigative work that will free these three men. The world is aware of this case and there's no chance of it disappearing. There are too many eyes and ears and voices now.

Please take a look at the events and benefits that are happening in your area on or around June 3, and arrange to be there. If there isn't one nearby, please consider holding your own. Read up on the case and do what you can to insure that this kind of thing never happens again.

It's up to everyone one of us.

2007 Map of Events:
http://www.wm3.org/live/newsevents/events_awareness2007_map.php

WAD @ Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/wm3worldawarenessday





http://serial-box.net/
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2008 4:11 pm

Hearings for the WM3 Scheduled for September

April 15, 2008



At 9:30 Tuesday morning the courtroom filled with attorneys and supporters of the West Memphis Three.


However, by 10:00, just 30 minutes later, the hearing was over and rules were laid out.


Judge David Burnett started the morning by telling attorneys for both the state and the defense that any further contact with the media would result in contempt of court.


He also noted that he is ready for the case to be closed once and for all.


Prosecuting Attorney Brent Davis told the judge that he had just received an amended filing of Damien Echols Act 1780 petition and would need time to review and respond to it.


Judge Burnett gave Davis 60 days to respond to this motion.


However, any further motions were given 45 days to be filed and 30 days to be responded to. Those motion include Rule 37 motions being filed by Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin's attorneys.


Judge Burnett told the lawyers that he wanted all motions filed by May 30th and the State to respond by July 15th.


While both sides argued that this may not be enough time, the judge stayed firm and told them that this was all of the time they were getting.


Finally after looking at schedules, hearings for the West Memphis Three motions were scheduled for September 8th through October 3rd.<


Outside the courtroom attorneys held to the judge's orders and refused comment to the media, but we did get response from those in support.


Lori Davis, Echols' Wife, told Region 8 News, "I'm happy that it's going. I'm happy that it is finally getting its day in court. Really that's the news from our side, we are just happy to see it moving along."

http://www.wm3.org/live/newsevents/newsitem.php?index=1&news_Id=204
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2008 4:12 pm

LORRI DAVIS RADIO INTERVIEW

http://www.wm3.org/live/newsevents/newsitem.php?news_Id=191
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2008 9:35 am

Saturday, May 24, 2008: FOR DAMIEN BLOG

The US Judiciary Fails US Death Row Inmates Miserably Claims Irish ...

Collin County district attorney says evidence doesn't link Blair ...
Dallas Morning News - Dallas,TX,USA
As a result, Michael Blair's conviction will likely be vacated and he will be exonerated from death row, though he will remain in prison for other crimes," ...
Researchers Hope To Take A Bite Out Of Crime
Tampa Tribune - Tampa,FL,USA
By TODD RICHMOND AP MILWAUKEE - It has sent innocent men to death row, given defense attorneys fits and splintered the scientific community. ...
DEATH PENALTY: It's inaccurate, unfair, ineffective
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
Since 1973, 127 people on death row have been exonerated. Five of them were in Georgia. With the availability of DNA testing, these numbers are on the rise. ...
States Divided On Life-And-Death Questions
CBS News - New York,NY,USA
In 1993, Bloodsworth was freed, becoming the first death row inmate exonerated by DNA. Wrongful convictions such as his are one reason why lawmakers in five ...
The US Judiciary Fails US Death Row Inmates Miserably Claims Irish ...
The Epoch Times Ireland - Dublin,Ireland
One was Kerry , a sensitive Texan brutalised on Texas death row for twenty two years before being freed by DNA evidence. Another was Gary a Midwestern ...
Attorney for Tenn. death row inmate to fight new trial
Knoxville News Sentinel - Knoxville,TN,USA
ROSE FRENCH, AP NASHVILLE - An attorney for a Tennessee death row inmate says he will ask a federal judge not to give prosecutors more time to retry Paul ...
Death Row Exoneree Crone Speaks at BMC
Bi-College News - Haverford,PA,USA
The first speaker was Ray Crone, the one hundredth death row inmate in the US to be exonerated. Originally from Dover, Pennsylvania, he was wrongfully ...
Death penalty isn't worth the risk
Paradise Post - Paradise,CA,USA
Even more shocking are the number of men on death row who've been exonerated. Then there is the unknowable number of people killed by our country and in our ...
With son on death row, House's mom became his crusader
The Tennessean - Nashville,TN,USA
He was sentenced to death in 1986. Years later, the advent of DNA evidence revealed House did not rape Muncey. The semen found on her body belonged to her ...
Death sentences should be carried out
The Tennessean - Nashville,TN,USA
Granted, with the development of the DNA analysis, a few have been exonerated. Thank heavens for DNA. It appears our system is working well, ...
Judge Recommends Exoneration In Ashley Estell Case
CBS 11 - Dallas,TX,USA
While Blair was convicted of murder, he was granted a stay of execution in 1999 so that new, more sophisticated DNA testing could be performed on hair ...
Statement from Collin County District Attorney John R. Roach
Dallas Morning News - Dallas,TX,USA
DNA testing was performed on a number of items of evidence that had never before been DNA tested. The result: the Team discovered no new evidence connecting ...
DNA dilemma
World Magazine - Asheville,NC,USA
DNA isn't just used to establish guilt: Since 1992 an organization called the Innocence Project has used DNA testing to exonerate more than 200 individuals ...
DNA cleared them, but they'll never feel free
CNN - USA
CNN recently interviewed 15 of the 17 men who have been exonerated by DNA evidence in Dallas County since 2001. Their stories are vastly different, ...
Cleared by DNA, man tries to reclaim his life
CNN - USA
He was released on April 29, the 17th Dallas County inmate to be exonerated by DNA testing. In one aspect at least, Woodard and the 16 others are lucky; ...
Court's decision on mandamus review opens 'new world,' dissenter ...
Southeast Texas Record - Beaumont,TX,USA
By Steve Korris AUSTIN - Just as owners of professional football teams discarded tradition by deciding they could halt a game to review a ruling, ...
DNA testing may exonerate 3 more Dallas County inmates 2:47 PM CT
Dallas Morning News - Dallas,TX,USA
... District Attorney's office has approved three additional post-conviction DNA tests for inmates seeking exoneration, prosecutor Mike Ware said Friday. ...




http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=41045221&blogID=398690828

(Follow this link to read an of the above mentioned articles)
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2008 11:45 am

FOR DAMIEN: BLOG-- Sunday, May 25, 2008

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=41045221&blogID=398863157&Mytoken=DB02644C-D6C0-4AA0-81CFCD14813489CE120926700


West Memphis Three Supporters Stage Events Worldwide


For Immediate Release
..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

West Memphis Three Supporters

Stage Events Worldwide

WM3 Awareness Fundraisers Will Attract Defenders from Around the Globe




May 22, 2008: San Francisco, CA — Supporters all over the world are working on West Memphis Three events, with events already being planned in more than 35 cities and 30 states, from Adelaide, Australia, Anchorage to Milwaukee, from Portland to Bay City, MI. The three Arkansas men, dubbed the West Memphis Three, were convicted of the 1993 murders of three elementary school children. Since Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky chronicled their trials in the HBO documentary, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, a groundswell of support has formed around Echols, Misskelley, and Baldwin—support that includes a wide array of artists such as Metallica, Henry Rollins, Eddie Vedder, Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp and Natalie Maines.



Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin—all teenagers at the time—were convicted in 1994 for the brutal murders of three eight-year-old boys (Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers) in West Memphis, Ark. despite flimsy circumstantial evidence—the bulk of which centered around the trio's alleged involvement in a Satanic cult—and a questionable and factually-inaccurate confession extracted from mentally-challenged Misskelley—the three have been serving stiff prison sentences for over a decade. Misskelley was sentenced to life plus 40 years, Baldwin is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, and Echols—who was deemed the ringleader of the attacks thanks to his love of black clothing and Metallica—is currently on death row as he waits for the outcome of his appeals.



June 3, 2008 marks the 15th anniversary that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were arrested for murders they did not commit. In July 2007 DNA evidence proved these three young men should never have been convicted. New DNA evidence will be revealed at the upcoming hearings scheduled for September 8, 2008 – October 3, 2008.



Events to raise money for the West Memphis Three's defense fund are scheduled to take place in cities all over the world. The events will take place from May 30, 2008 until October 31, 2008. For more information on these events, and the West Memphis Three's case, log on to www.wm3.org.



For more information about these events, please contact Anje Vela at velaent@gmail.com



"If we don't hurry, if we don't hustle, if we don't raise money, if we don't get them out eventually…soon we will know in this nation, by clear DNA evidence that we've killed an innocent man." John Grisham



http://www.innocenceproject.org/news/playvideo.php?file=/Images/1359/grisham_fritz.wmv&title=Dennis%20and%20Peggy%20Dance,%20and%20John%20Grisham%20discusses%20The%20Innocent%20Man&time=03:07
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2008 4:29 pm

Hearing Set

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) -- A hearing scheduled for April will bring the West Memphis Three case back to court in Region 8. After several years of re-examining evidence in the case and retesting it with newer DNA technology, a hearing is set to look at the results of the testing on behalf of defendants Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin.
Prosecuting Attorney Brent Davis who originally prosecuted the case in 1994 says this move is not surprising.
"There are motions by all defendants to have new scientific evidence applied to evidence that was previously taken in the case. We've worked with the defense council for the past four years to have evidence tested and they're requested it be retested," said Davis.
Now a hearing is scheduled to take a look at the results of the retesting.
"We knew hearings were coming. We've been examining evidence for a number of years and the fact that the judge has scheduled hearings is just the culmination of the normal process that occurs over a period of time," said Davis.
This is one of several hearings for the three convicted men in the past several years. Court records show that over the past ten years multiple motions have been filed on the behalf of the three.
"There are multiple occasions where the defense has appealed various rulings that were made against him and those have gone up to the Supreme Court and decisions have been made affirming those rulings against him and additional levels of appeals have gone through," said Davis.
The hearings on this evidence are scheduled to take place in Craighead County Circuit Court starting on April 14th however a motion has been filed by all parties asking that date be changed.
"A joint status memorandum has been filed by all parties, defense counsel and the state, with the judge explaining that we don't think we're in the position to have hearings on April 14th because things still need to be done," said Davis.
Regardless of whether or not the judge does decide to push back the actual hearing in this case Davis said he still feels the date is necessary for both sides to work on the case.
"If we don't have evidentiary hearings in April we do need to have hearings to flesh out what issues are being contested what additional tests need to be performed," said Davis.
And while this is a big step for the case it is far from over.
======================================

http://westmemphisthreediscussion.yuku.com/topic/6380
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2008 7:11 pm

CA10/2/03, High court hears another argument in '93 murders

Commercial Appeal
High court hears another argument in 1993 child murders
By JAMES JEFFERSON
The Associated Press
October 2, 2003

LITTLE ROCK Lawyers for death-row inmate Damien Echols asked Arkansas' highest court Thursday to order a hearing on whether the condemned man was mentally competent when convicted of killing three boys.

Echols was sentenced to die for the May 1993 bludgeoning deaths of three 8-year-old West Memphis boys. He does not currently have an execution date pending.

Defense lawyer Robert Owen of Austin, Texas, said Echols, now 28, was entitled to a competency hearing under state law. Owen said that, in death row cases, the review should be automatic.

However, Assistant Attorney General David Raupp said such a request should be barred because Echols' mental health was not raised in the inmate's previous appeals.

Owen also argued that the condemned man's trial lawyers, Val Price and Scott Davidson of Jonesboro, failed Echols by entering a contract with HBO three weeks into the trial and staging a strategy session for filmmakers.

"A lawyer has limited time and resources for trial. The fact that some of this resource was diverted to play acting is the harm," Owen told the court.

Owen also said that, after one of Echols' co-defendants was convicted, Price and Davidson failed to seek a delay because they were trying to accommodate the film crew. Owen said Price wanted to get Echols' trial over before the HBO movie was released in August 1994.

Assistant Attorney General Jeff Weber said there was no conflict of interest in the HBO filmmaking because Echols himself signed the contract.

Of the mistakes that the defense attorneys claim the trial lawyers made, Weber said, "They never say if they (the trial lawyers) had done those things what would have happened. They don't say once how that affected Mr. Echols."

Second-graders Steven Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers disappeared May 5, 1993, while riding bicycles in their quiet, tree-lined neighborhood in West Memphis. Their bodies were found the next day in a watery ditch near their homes.

Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, all teenagers at the time, were convicted in the murders. Echols was the only one sentenced to death. Baldwin is serving life without parole and Misskelley was sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years.

Misskelley was tried separately in Corning, about 110 miles north of West Memphis. Echols and Baldwin were tried in Jonesboro, about 65 miles north of West Memphis.

Owen says Echols received ineffective counsel from public defenders who should have sought to have his trial moved or delayed because of publicity surrounding the case, and that the trial lawyers should have demanded more extensive DNA testing.

Additionally, Echols' lawyer said Circuit Judge David Burnett did not adequately respond to an earlier state Supreme Court order to fully explain why he denied Echols' request for a new trial.

Defense lawyer Edward Mallett of Houston, Texas, said Wednesday that the arguments were intended to win a new trial, not merely technical points intended to save Echols from the death chamber.

"We're arguing for a new trial because he is innocent," Mallett said.

"We will demonstrate to this court that what was prepared and presented at trial doesn't meet the present constitutional minimum" for adequate defense, he said.

Still pending in Echols' case is a resolution between his lawyers and prosecutors of the logistics of new DNA testing on some items in the case. The high court had delayed proceedings for more than a year, waiting on a resolution, but apparently decided to proceed with other matters.


http://westmemphisthreediscussion.yuku.com/topic/2589
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2008 8:43 pm

Case Lives on as Echols Seeks New Trial

Case lives on as Echols seeks new trial
Claims state withheld evidence

By Bartholomew Sullivan
April 21, 2002

The case has always been a little murky.

And now, nine years after one of the region's most infamous murders, death row prisoner Damien Wayne Echols claims the state withheld crucial evidence.

In his efforts to win a new trial, Echols, 27, also claims he was incompetent to stand trial because of a history of mental illness and that he was drugged in jail against his will while awaiting trial.

The other two defendants, Jessie Lloyd Misskelley Jr., 26, and Charles Jason Baldwin, 25, both serving life terms, have filed motions claiming their trial lawyers were ineffective. Misskelley is also seeking to preserve trial evidence for DNA and other testing unavailable in 1993. Hearings in those matters have not yet been scheduled.

The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed all three convictions in 1996, and the U.S. Supreme Court has denied requests to review them.

But that's hardly the end of the story.

The murder case that captivated the region for almost a year starting in the spring of 1993 still lives on. It lives in the reams of new court filings, including a 30-page brief filed in Little Rock last week. And it lives on in the imagination of countless viewers who have seen nationally televised documentaries that question the fairness of the three men's trials for killing Steve Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers.

The movies have spawned a movement to "Free the West Memphis Three."

Interest in the films has led to a popular California-based Web site, dozens of spinoff chat rooms, and regular fund-raising concerts on behalf of the convicted killers.

Perhaps it was inevitable the case would take on a life of its own. The triple-murder case West Memphis police assigned No. 93-05-0666 has a number of elements that make it extraordinary.

The victims, all 8 years old, were last seen in the late afternoon of May 5, 1993, riding their bikes toward Robin Hood Hills, a wooded area near their homes.

They were found the next afternoon brutally murdered, their bodies hog-tied and submerged in a drainage ditch. One was sexually mutilated.

The identified suspects were shadowy denizens of trailer parks, and Echols had an acknowledged interest in the occult magician Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) and called himself a practitioner of witchcraft.

Perhaps most devastating, Misskelley gave police a confession, later retracted, in which he said he participated in the ritual slaughter of animals and in sexual orgies with Echols and others as part of a cult that met in the woods of Crittenden County.

The Commercial Appeal published excerpts of the Misskelley confession just days after it was recorded by police in June 1993. Some have suggested the media hype and atmosphere of hysteria worked against selection of an unbiased jury. There was little convincing physical evidence linking the men to the murders.

That's the underlying theme of the documentaries - Paradise Lost and Revelations: Paradise Lost 2. The films suggest the West Memphis community and surrounding Bible Belt region were gripped by irrational "satanic panic" that helped railroad innocent defendants.

Jurors involved in the two trials have either declined interview requests or can't be located. Circuit Judge David Burnett granted changes of venue because of the publicity. Misskelley's trial was held in Corning, Ark., near the Missouri state line. Echols and Baldwin were tried in Jonesboro.

In pretrial hearings and both trials many of the current legal issues were brought to light. But national interest in the case didn't begin until after the 1994 convictions and the first documentary, Paradise Lost, was aired on the Home Box Office pay-television channel.

The most inflammatory issues remain potent Internet chat topics and also recur in legal briefs.

The suggestion that Misskelley's confession was coerced by police remains a hot issue, even though jurors weighed and rejected that argument at his trial. Echols's new lawyers argue that widespread knowledge of the confession hurt their client's chance for a fair trial two weeks after Misskelley's conviction, even though the confession itself was never introduced in Echols's trial.

Critics of the verdicts also point to a post-conviction ruling by the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education revoking the license of the college where the state's satanism expert got his mail-order PhD. The former Ohio police captain, Dale W. Griffis, who obtained the doctorate from the now-discredited Columbia Pacific University, was permitted to give his expert views that the triple murders had occult "trappings," including the fact they occurred during a full moon.

Proponents of new trials for the three defendants point to other prosecutorial excesses and suggestions of overlooked evidence.

Perhaps the best known and least satisfactorily explained police foulup was evidence that a bloodied, muddy man showed up at the West Memphis Bojangles restaurant about the time the boys went missing.

Whatever connection might have been made between the killings and the so-called Mr. Bojangles - obviously someone other than the defendants - was never pursued.

Troubling as that may be, it's far from being a post-conviction revelation. The Mr. Bojangles connection was the subject of a news story in The Commercial Appeal four days before Misskelley's January 1994 trial. And it was the subject of extensive testimony in open court.

Critics of the two trials have also wondered about the relationship John Mark Byers, the stepfather of one of the victims, had with undercover narcotics officers in the West Memphis police department, and whether officials were entirely forthcoming about it.

Those suspicions, and Byers's orthodontic work after the killings, led to so far unsuccessful post-trial efforts to have wounds on one victim's body examined as bite marks.

Supporters of the convicted men also wonder why a Jonesboro juvenile court official with first-hand knowledge was never permitted to testify about the state's most damaging witness against Baldwin, a witness once represented by Echols's trial lawyer. That official could have testified that the witness was spoon-fed his testimony in a juvenile lockup.

Efforts to reconsider Echols's conviction in light of alleged errors were rejected by trial judge Burnett after 13 days of hearings brought by his new lawyers in what's called a Rule 37 proceeding. The rule's purpose is to allow appeals lawyers to prove their client received ineffective legal assistance at trial.

In rejecting that claim, Echols's lawyers say Burnett simply accepted the state's arguments. The Arkansas Supreme Court sent Burnett's ruling back to him and asked him to re-examine and clarify some issues. Burnett has done so, and Echols's lawyers filed their last written argument in that case Wednesday. A final ruling from the high court is pending.

One of the issues still under review is whether contracts involving the filming of the trial are proof of a conflict of interest between defense lawyers and their clients. Burnett says he doesn't see a conflict, and the lawyers involved agree.

Appellate lawyers for Echols say the deal with the documentary filmmakers, and their reliance on them as a financial source, compromised their client's interest in having the state provide adequate resources to investigate the case. In the brief filed last week, they say Echols's lawyer Val P. Price "became an actor" for the film crew, at one point "staging a strategy conference for the sole purpose of having it filmed."

Ironically, according to those who agreed to the arrangement, the success of the films probably explains why the case has become so well-known and attracted the current array of legal talent.

"In the absence of the documentary, the lawyers making these criticisms wouldn't be involved anyway," said Jonesboro lawyer Paul N. Ford, who represented Baldwin. "It did not harm my client before the trial and has helped him afterward. He wouldn't have a champion. He would just be another inmate serving a life sentence."

Daniel T. Stidham, who represented Misskelley but had another lawyer handle the contract with filmmakers, agrees: "I've said before that, without those two films, it would have been swept under the rug and long forgotten."

The Commercial Appeal and other news organizations reported that a film crew from Creative Thinking International was receiving unusual access to the defendants during the trials, but the deals between the filmmakers and their lawyers weren't publicly revealed until years later.

Echols's appellate lawyers, Edward A. Mallett of Houston, Texas, and Alvin Schay of Little Rock, reviewed contracts that show Creative Thinking agreed to pay $7,500 to each defendant for a total of nine interviews, three with each. Under terms of the contracts, they were to keep the terms confidential. Burnett has said he was unaware of any payments by the documentary film crew until well into the process.

While the new lawyers pursue the theory that Echols received poor legal advice, they are also raising other issues in a parallel case, also before the Arkansas Supreme Court.

In a motion asking to permit the trial court to consider issues uncovered after the trials, they want to address whether Echols was mentally competent to stand trial and whether he was improperly given psycho-active medications during his trial.

And in what appears most damaging on the surface, they want to examine whether the state concealed exculpatory evidence from a West Memphis police officer. In a sworn statement, the officer now contends there was no sign of the bodies in Robin Hood Hills when he searched the area just hours before the bodies were found.

Echols's new lawyers now say his first lawyers should have recognized his mental incapacity.

The record on appeal spells out a long history of Echols's mental heath problems, including a May 5, 1992, Arkansas Department of Youth Services referral for possible mental illness, a year to the day before the murders.

Hospital records for his treatment in Little Rock 11 months before the killings show a history of self-mutilation, and assertions to hospital staff that he gained power by drinking blood, that he had inside him the spirit of a woman who had killed her husband and that he was having hallucinations.

He also told mental health workers that he was "going to influence the world."

The appellate legal team argues that Echols didn't waive his assertion that he wasn't mentally competent before his 1994 trial because he wasn't competent to waive it. They've retained a Berkeley, Calif.-based forensic psychiatrist, Dr. George Woods, to make their case.

But state appellate lawyers maintain Echols's mental history was available to defense lawyers at his trial, and they elected not to assert his incompetence. The trial lawyers even introduced some of his mental rec ord in the trial's sentencing phase.

Woods has been involved in several high-profile trials. Past prosecutors have accused him of designing diagnoses to meet defense needs. In an affidavit on file in Little Rock, he said that Echols's history of mental illness is well-established and its effects were devastating:

"Mr. Echols' mental illness made him incompetent to stand trial. He could not adequately appreciate or consistently articulate the nature and gravity of the charges against him. He did not understand the role of his counsel and could not assist his counsel or investigators in identifying critical evidence or a viable theory of defense.

"His grandiose and paranoid delusions left him unable to make rational decisions and grossly distorted his perception of the purpose and possible outcomes of the trial."

Echols's condition worsened during the trial, when he developed a "psychotic euphoria that caused him to believe he would evolve into a superior entity," and eventually be transported to a different world. His psychosis dominated his perceptions of everything going on in court, Woods wrote.

The second issue on appeal deals with the anti-depressant Imipramine that Echols was given before and during his trial. The theory relies in part on a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court case from Nevada that overturned a conviction in which a defendant contended his appearance and demeanor before jurors was affected by state-administered psycho-active drugs.

Echols's lawyers suggest there is no evidence Echols consented to the medication administered by jailers and that it undermined the credibility of his defense. But state lawyers, on appeal, note that Echols had been prescribed an antidepressant, and had been taking it, well before he was charged in the case.

The final issue raised to get back into court involves former West Memphis police officer John P. Slater. He signed an affidavit last year asserting that he was on duty the night and early morning the victims disappeared and that he helped search the very area where the bodies were later found.

"If the bodies had been present at the time we searched the area, I am confident that we would have located them," Slater wrote. "We were aware that the facts within our personal knowledge contradicted the version of events being presented by the state."

Although Slater contends he discussed the issue with West Memphis Police Lt. Fred Boskey, he acknowledges he never pre sented the evidence to detectives working the case.

Capt. Mike Allen, the detective who found the bodies, said Slater's assertion is "a complete crock."

Allen says the logical implication of Slater's statement is that the bodies were dropped off in the woods while a full-scale search for the missing boys was under way.

He suggests searchers didn't see the bodies, which were submerged in murky water.

"If it was 12 o'clock straight up noon, unless you got down in that water, you wouldn't have seen them."

http://westmemphisthreediscussion.yuku.com/topic/2721
"Bratty Mama Leci"



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Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2008 11:06 pm

West Memphis Three MOVIE

http://www.hollywood.com/movie/West_Memphis_Three/3462704

Synopsis: Centers on the 1993 murders of three young boys from West Memphis, Arkansas. Local teens Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were subsequently arrested and controversially tried for the crime; their fascination with heavy-metal music and Goth fashion was viewed by some observers as prima facie evidence of guilt.
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2008 11:58 pm

email

May 26, 2008



Hello Friends and Supporters of the WM3:



Again, thanks for stepping forward to help out Damien, Jessie and Jason during this critical time of need.



For those who are event organizers, to order the original WM3 T-shirts http://wm3.org/live/store/index.php please email Lisa Fancher at lisa@wm3.org to get all details regarding purchases in order to have these T-shirts for sale at your event.



Images by Grove Pashley of Damien, Jessie and Jason are attached that you are able to use for press, T-shirts, and whatever is needed to promote your events to raise funds and awareness for the WM3. Mandatory Photo Credit: "Copyright Grove Pashley WM3.org 2008" If you have questions, please feel free to email me.



If you are stumped with locating a venue, ideas on what to do, bands, etc. please let me know.



I've attached an initial press release I've sent out regarding the events. Once folks have their events together another press release will be sent out. If you have an event that will include/involve any known name speakers, bands, participants in your area please inform me of this. This way we can get the appropriate press release together. It is important to make sure we are heard and seen in our endeavor here to help the WM3.



Anje
"Bratty Mama Leci"



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 12:00 am

HARD TIME FOR THE INNOCENT

DA says conviction in 'Ashley's Laws' case can't stand
Houston Chronicle - United States
2008 AP PLANO, Texas — A suburban Dallas district attorney says there's not enough evidence to uphold the conviction of a man on death row for the child ...
Collin County DA admits Michael Blair should not be on death row
Dallas Morning News - Dallas,TX,USA
On Death Row, he is case number 999122, but he won't be there for long. Don't worry, though. Because this man has confessed to other brutal sexual assaults, ...
AG: Tenn. won't appeal release of death row inmate House
WZTV - Nashville,TN,USA
(AP) -- The Tennessee attorney general's office says it won't fight an appeals court decision that clears the way to release or retry death row inmate Paul ...
HARD TIME FOR THE INNOCENT
Buffalo News - NY, United States
With at least 23 people cleared through use of post-conviction DNA testing, New York has the third-highest number of people exonerated, but it has done ...

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=41045221&blogID=399584270
(FOR DAMIEN: blog)

Monday, May 26, 2008
"Bratty Mama Leci"



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Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 12:11 pm

Damien Echols LEGAL UPDATE

http://www.wm3.org/live/thewm3/legalupdates.php?id=1

The Arkansas Supreme Court denied Damien's direct appeal in December of 1996. In late 1997, he filed a Petition for Relief under Rule 37, which dealt with the ineffective assistance of his original trial attorneys. In May of 1998, the first of several hearings produced testimony in support of Damien's Rule 37 claim.

Judge Burnett denied Damien's Rule 37 Petition in June of 1999, and his decision was appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court. They partially reversed and remanded Judge Burnett's decision in April of 2001, and required the Judge to file a more complete response to the issues raised. He did so in July, again denying Damien's requests for post-conviction relief.

Shortly prior to the reverse and remand in 2001, Damien's attorneys began a number of filings related to a Writ of Error Coram Nobis. Put simply, the Writ raised three issues: (1) whether Damien was competent at the time of trial; (2) whether he was improperly administered medication during trial; and (3) whether the State concealed exculpatory evidence.

In 2002, Echols filed a Motion for Forensic DNA Testing (full original report posted in Trial Info/ Court Docs section), joining Jason and Jessie in their request to have DNA testing performed on all available evidence.

In late 2003, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued two devastating rulings. On October 16, they denied Damien's request to reinvest jurisdiction regarding the Writ of Error Coram Nobis in the Circuit Court. This effectively killed the Writ. Two weeks later, they affirmed Judge Burnett's decision to deny Damien's Rule 37 Petition, thus ending that avenue of appeal as well.

The DNA testing was still an available option, however, and has since yielded results that support what is called an "actual innocence" claim. While efforts to preserve and have the evidence tested began in 2000, Judge Burnett did not enter an Order for Preservation of Evidence until 2003 and finally signed the Order for DNA Testing, which was filed June 2, 2004. Getting all parties to agree on what specifically would be tested, what laboratory would be used, etc., was a lengthy process.

Damien retained new counsel with an excellent background in post-conviction appeals. They filed his federal Habeas Corpus Petition on October 28, 2004. On the same day, Damien's lawyers also filed a Motion asking the Arkansas Supreme Court to reconsider their earlier decision regarding the Writ of Error. In the Memorandum in Support of the motion, they lay out a strong challenge to the verdicts on the grounds of jury misconduct and juror bias.

On December 2, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the recent Motion would be "submitted as a case." That meant that the Court opted to hear from both sides on the issue (they could have rejected the motion immediately). The State's response was filed on December 13, and the defense filed a response to that on December 20. On January 20, 2005, the Court issued a formal ruling on the matter and denied the Motion. Many of the issues covered in the Motion, however, are being addressed in federal court as the post-conviction process continues.

As part of the procedure, Damien's attorneys filed a Petition for Rehearing with the Arkansas Supreme Court regarding their denial of the Motion to Recall the Mandate. On February 14, 2005, the State filed a response. On February 24, the Court denied the Petition for Rehearing.

On February 28, 2005, Echols' attorneys filed a First Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus. Primarily, this let the federal court know that certain claims had been presented to the state court since the original Petition was filed back on October 28, 2004. This is important, because claims must be "exhausted" in state court before the federal court will consider them.

On March 2, 2005, the State filed a Motion to Dismiss Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus for Non-Exhaustion. Because the DNA evidence is still being litigated in Craighead County Circuit Court, that claim has not been "exhausted" in state court, so the State asked the federal court to dismiss the Writ. On April 28, Damien's attorneys filed a Response to Motion to Dismiss Amended Petition for Habeas Corpus. They requested that the federal court issue an order to stay the amended petition and hold it in abeyance until Damien's claims related to the DNA testing are addressed by the Arkansas courts. On May 13, 2005, the State filed a Reply to Echols' Response, again asking the Court to dismiss the Petition. The U.S. District Court issued an Order on August 18, denying the State's request to dismiss: "Petitioner's Petition and Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus both will be stayed and held in abeyance until Petitioner's DNA claim is exhausted in the state court. Petitioner must continue to pursue his DNA claim in state court with diligence, and file his Amended Petition with the Court within ninety (90) days after the state court's disposition."

In March 2006, a DNA Status Report was filed with the Arkansas Supreme Court. The Second Status Report was filed on July 17, 2007, in response to a request from the Court. The State responded two days later, writing that although "the State agrees that DNA testing results have not disclosed genetic material recovered from the crime scene that is attributable to Echols and his codefendants ... the State stands behind its convictions of Echols and his codefendants as the perpetrators."

On October 29, 2007, Echols filed a Second Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in U.S. District Court, along with a lengthy Memorandum in Support and numerous Exhibits (Index, A-Z, AA-ZZ, AAA-CCC). In the Writ, Echols asserts six legal claims. These are explained in great detail in the Memo. In brief, however: 1) Echols meets the "actual innocence" standard (includes DNA results and new forensic evidence); 2) The jury used Misskelley's inadmissible statement in their deliberations (which violates one's federal constitutional right to confrontation and cross-examination); 3) The jury was not impartial and capable of deciding the case solely on the evidence admitted and the instructions given in court; 4) Prosecutorial misconduct in the closing argument (referring to Fogleman's "lake knife" tapping on a grapefruit stunt); 5) Judge Burnett's restriction of the cross-examination of Narlene Hollingsworth was federal constitutional error (a defendant has a right to proof on cross-examination that a prosecution witness is on probation, parole, or facing charges because those facts provide a strong motivation to cooperate with prosecutors. Anthony Hollingsworth was on felony probation for sexually abusing his minor sister, and Narlene had a vehicular case pending); 6) Echols' trial counsel had various conflicts of interest which, along with other deficiencies in representation, denied petitioner his sixth amendment right to the effective assistance of counsel.

The State filed a Motion on November 9, 2007, asking the Court to clarify the date their response is due, and asking for an additional 120 days.

We'll update with more information as it becomes available.

Damien's new lawyers and the ongoing investigations are incredibly expensive, so please consider donating to the Defense Fund to aid in this effort to save his life.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 12:33 pm

Echols' Order for Preservation of Evidence, Circuit Court

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF CRAIGHEAD COUNTY, ARKANSAS
WESTERN DIVISION





DAMIEN WAYNE ECHOLS PETITIONER
vs. No. CR93-450
STATE OF ARKANSAS RESPONDENT




ORDER FOR PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE




On this 27th day of January, 2003, came on to be heard the motion of the petitioner for preservation of the evidence. Based on the pleadings, statements of counsel, and agreement of the parties, the Court finds as follows:

1. Pursuant to Section 11 of Act 1780 of 2001 (A.C.A. §12-12-104), all physical evidence in a prosecution for a violent crime is to be impounded and securely and permanently retained by a law enforcement agency in the event the need for future forensic testing arises;

2. The petitioner has moved for forensic testing of s number of items of physical evidence in this case pursuant to A.C.A §16-112-201, et seq., and the Court has been informed that the parties anticipate that they may reach an agreement as to the testing of certain items of evidence;

3. This Court has the authority under A.C.A. §16-112-202 to order the immediate impounding and securing of all items of evidence in this case in order to preserve such evidence for future forensic testing as agreed upon by the parties or ordered by the Court;

4. In order to ensure the integrity of the evidence and to protect its chain of custody in the event of future forensic testing, the Court finds that it is necessary to impound all of the evidence, have it securely retained, and made available only to the parties to this case on further orders of this Court.

5. To ensure that all law enforcement agencies in possession of any items of evidence in this case are notified to preserve such evidence, the parties are hereby directed to serve all agencies involved with a copy of this Order;

6. Following service of this Order on the law enforcement agencies, any such agency that determines that preservation is not possible shall promptly notify the parties; and

7. It is anticipated once all items of evidence are properly secured, the parties will cause an inventory of the items to be made and one or two law enforcement agencies thereafter designated as the repository of all items of evidence.

IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that all items of physical evidence obtained in this case shall be impounded and securely retained by the law enforcement agency in possession of any such item of evidence; that the parties shall agree on a repository or repositories for such evidence after all items have been inventoried, and; that the evidence is to be made available only to the parties to this action for forensic testing so that the physical integrity and chain of custody of the evidence can be maintained.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

David Burnett [signed]
CIRCUIT JUDGE

Approved by:

Brent Davis [signed]
Brent Davis, Esq.
Prosecuting Attorney
P.O. Box 491
Jonesboro, AR 72403

AND

Edward A. Mallett [signed]
Edward A. Mallett
Mandell & Wright, LLP
712 Main St, Ste. 1600
Houston, TX 77002-3297
(713) 228-1521

ATTORNEY FOR DEFENDANT
DAMIEN WAYNE ECHOLS

Criminal Bk81 Pg 974-976
DATE: 01-30-2003
TIME: 04:23:14 PM
RECORDED IN
OFFICIAL RECORDS OF
CRAIGHEAD COUNTY, AR.
ANN HUDSON
CIRCUIT CLERK
[signed]Dena Horton, D.C.





"Bratty Mama Leci"



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Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 2:31 pm

Jessie Misskelley LEGAL UPDATES

After the Arkansas Supreme Court denied his direct appeal in 1996, Jessie filed a Petition for Relief under Rule 37 the following year. (Rule 37 deals with ineffective assistance of the original trial counsel) The Petition was amended in early 2001. Because the original Petition was filed in a timely manner, it is an avenue of appeal that is still available to be pursued, as shown in the Joint Status Memorandum filed on June 2, 2004 and this Status Memo from October 2007.

However, in 2000, work began on developing evidence that would support an "actual innocence" claim. After visiting the WMPD with an evidence analyst in November and discovering there was potential for DNA testing to exonerate his client, Stidham filed a Motion with Judge Burnett. He asked for permission to have the evidence properly preserved and to test/retest certain items.

In March of 2001, the State filed a response to Stidham's motion. While Brent Davis apparently had no objection to evidence being preserved, he did object to having the evidence tested. In May 2001, Stidham wrote and reminded Judge Burnett about the new state law allowing inmates to seek testing/retesting of evidence, regardless of the prosecutor's wishes. He asked for a hearing on his motion. Judge Burnett did not respond.

In February of 2002, Dan finally asked Judge Burnett to have the hearing set in front of a different judge. After all, his original motion -- so far essentially ignored by the Court -- was filed in November of 2000. In March, the Judge responded and offered a few potential hearing dates. But because Stidham's initial motion was filed prior to the new post-conviction DNA testing statutes came into effect, he wanted to file an amended Petition. Stidham asked for time to file and agreed to allow opportunity for the prosecution to respond before a hearing was finally scheduled. In late 2002, Misskelley filed the amended Petition.

In 2003, Judge Burnett entered an Order for Preservation of Evidence, without holding a hearing. Judge Burnett finally signed the Order for DNA Testing, which was filed June 2, 2004. Getting all parties to agree on what specifically would be tested, where it would be tested, etc., was a time consuming process.

In March 2006, Damien's lawyers filed a DNA Status Report with the Arkansas Supreme Court, followed by a Second Status Report in 2007. While these weren't filed specifically on Jessie's behalf, the information contained within does apply: "The DNA testing results returned to date disclose that none of the genetic material recovered at the scene of the crimes was attributable to Mr. Echols, Echols co-defendant, Jason Baldwin, or defendant Jessie Misskelley."

On October 26, 2007, Misskelley and Baldwin submitted a Joint Status Memorandum to the Circuit Court, updating Judge Burnett on the latest developments.

A few days later, Echols filed numerous documents in U.S. District Court (please see his legal update here), including a Memorandum in Support. That Memo contains a great deal of information on the DNA results and new forensic evidence, and is material that will be relevant to Jessie's post-conviction claims.

We'll update with more information as it becomes available.

[While Dan Stidham remains one of Jessie's staunchest supporters and deserves our thanks for standing by his client for so many years, Jessie has an impressive new legal team of attorneys conducting his appeals. They are working in conjunction with Damien and Jason's lawyers on DNA issues and investigation.]


http://www.wm3.org/live/thewm3/legalupdates.php?id=3
"Bratty Mama Leci"



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Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 2:48 pm

Jason Baldwin LEGAL UPDATES

After the Arkansas Supreme Court denied his direct appeal in 1996, Jason filed a Petition for Relief under Rule 37 the following year. (Rule 37 deals with ineffective assistance of the original trial counsel.) Because the original Petition was filed in a timely manner, it is an avenue of appeal that is still available to be pursued, as shown in the Joint Status Memorandum filed on June 2, 2004 and this Status Memo filed in October 2007.

In 2000, work began on developing evidence that would support an "actual innocence" claim. (See Jessie's update here for more detail.) In 2001, Jason filed a motion to have the evidence in this case properly preserved and made available for DNA testing, and requested a hearing on the issue. After a lengthy delay, in 2003 Judge Burnett finally entered an Order for Preservation of Evidence, without holding a hearing.

Judge Burnett eventually signed the Order for DNA Testing, which was filed June 2, 2004. Getting all parties to agree on what specifically would be tested, where it would be tested, etc., was a time consuming process.

In March 2006, Damien's lawyers filed a DNA Status Report with the Arkansas Supreme Court, followed by a Second Status Report on July 17, 2007. While these weren't filed specifically on Jason's behalf, the information contained within does apply: "The DNA testing results returned to date disclose that none of the genetic material recovered at the scene of the crimes was attributable to Mr. Echols, Echols co-defendant, Jason Baldwin, or defendant Jessie Misskelley."

On October 26, 2007, Baldwin and Misskelley submitted a Joint Status Memorandum to the Circuit Court, updating Judge Burnett on the latest information.

The next week, Echols filed numerous documents in U.S. District Court (please see his legal update here), including a Memorandum in Support. That Memo contains a great deal of information on the DNA results and new forensic evidence, and is material that will be relevant to Jason's post-conviction claims.

On April 9, 2008, the Baldwin defense filed a Memorandum in Circuit Court (Judge Burnett) asking for the release of fiber evidence and animal hairs for testing. According to the Memo, the State has objected to releasing the fiber evidence and contend "that there are no new technologies to apply to the fibers; that the fiber evidence was correctly tested by the Arkansas Crime Laboratory, as well as by a forensic scientist in Alabama, and that the reports pertinent to this testing were made known to the defense at the time of the trial of this case." However, according to information contained within the filing, there are indeed new technologies available. We'll update with Judge Burnett's ruling on this issue as soon as it becomes available.

We expect to see more developments in Jason's case soon. As Dennis Riordan mentioned during the November 2nd Press Conference: "I won't go into detail here, but it won't be that long before the story of Michael Carson and his years since then are told by attorneys for Jason Baldwin. And when that story is told, if there were ever any doubt, you will see that this is the classic form of jailhouse uncorroborated perjury."

We'll update with more information as it becomes available.

[As mandated by the court, Paul Ford prepared Jason's direct appeal to the Arkansas Supreme Court, but he hasn't represented Jason since. Nor has Robin Wadley, Jason's other trial attorney, who has been disbarred for reasons unrelated to this case. Another legal team is conducting Jason’s appeals and they are working in conjunction with Damien and Jessie's lawyers on DNA issues and investigation.]

http://www.wm3.org/live/thewm3/legalupdates.php?id=2
"Bratty Mama Leci"



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Posts: 11754
Location: Kentucky
Obscuregawdess PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 11:10 pm

Tuesday, May 27, 2008: FOR DAMIEN BLOG

Lethal injections raise defense attorneys' fears
The Associated Press -
One of the Oklahoma men, Ron Williamson, spent nine years on death row and came within five days of execution before he was set free by DNA evidence. ...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gbhu-AlAkerplkZFTK8j2CbqnY5QD90TS01G0

Pardon 'a warning against death penalty'
Ninemsn - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
By Catherine Best The posthumous pardoning of a convicted killer executed in Melbourne 86 years ago does not exonerate him but serves as a warning against ...
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=570227

Make lineups better
Buffalo News - NY, United States
Indeed, two-thirds of black men exonerated of rape through DNA testing were wrongfully convicted of assaulting white people, even though only 12 percent of ...
http://www.buffalonews.com/149/story/356085.html

Owning Up
Wizbang - Washington,DC,USA
In both cases, there is a push to exonerate the people who are paying the price for their poor choices. Some Democrats in Congress are pushing a "freeze" on ...
http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/05/27/owning-up-1.php

For wrongful convictions, no sure compensation
Tampabay.com - St. Petersburg,FL,USA
Today, Diaz and Heins are free, cleared by DNA evidence. Like Wilton Dedge and Alan Crotzer, they have become avatars of injustice in Florida. ...
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article525405.ece

A list of death row inmates freed in Oklahoma
Hays Daily News - Hays,KS,USA
During his first trial, two state dentists said a bite mark on the woman's body matched Wilhoit, but during the appeals process, a forensic dentist said he ...
http://www.hdnews.net/wirestories/k1130-BC-OK-DeathMachine-List-05-26-0595






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"Bratty Mama Leci"



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