MARTY TANKLEFF JUVENILE JUSTICE VIDEO AND CASE DETAILS

A CHILD/JUSTICE DENIED/FINALLY FREE ON BOND/MARTY TANKLEFF - A child of only 17, wakes up one morning to prepare for school in his senior year, to find his parents murdered, was falsely accused, convicted, now after 17 yrs, Marty finally is FREE on bond, but to return to court, 1/18/08, before the State Supreme Court Justice Robert W. Doyle.
VIDEO OF RELEASE........... Freedom 'A Dream Come True'
http://www.martytankleff.org Case details .
Please visit this wonderful new blog, called Justice Winds.

JUSTICE WINDS - Justice mission for all children, to be safe from harm, protected with mercy and compassion.~~~Far TOO many times, the "so called" legal system causes our "nation's children" to helplessly waste their young lives & tears of despair on a concrete floor with no one to comfort them.~~~ One of the most cruel forms of punishment is "denial of existence"

Quest for Justice Tho I have been an advocate most of my adult life, It has become my life's quest to speak out more about the atrocities against our nation's children.
Far too many suffer so needlessly, mistakes made as a "child". Many with a background of dysfunctional families, drugs, alcohol, abuses, assaults, rapes, molestations and even murdered.
Children under the age of 18 get caught up in trouble with the law, not comprehending the consequences of their actions, NOT knowing their basic law rights, MIRANDA RIGHTS, to remain silent without the presence of an attorney.
Juvenile laws in this nation are so desperately needed to be revised, to help protect children, and treat them as a "child" they are.

Many have received sentencing "AS AN ADULT", of LIFE and LIFE W/NO CHANCE OF PAROLE. This is surely a "slow death", it is still the "death penalty" for them. Am striving to make a difference for them, to let them know they are NOT forgotten, that someone "out here" does care about the human being, they ARE.
Many children are falsely imprisoned due to a "coerced" "false confession". Children "deserve" a "chance" to turn their lives around, an "offer" to become a "productive" member of society.
Juvenile Justice "Reform" is "imperative"!
You're invited to please reference the "educational resource" references listed.
Those who visit here, I hope you will have an open mind, and hope such a travesty of injustice NEVER happens to YOUR child.

Recommendations for Avoiding Wrongful Convictions

NEW RESOURCES: The Justice Project recently released two policy reviews that provide suggestions for preventing wrongful convictions in criminal trials. Using research and data from past exonerations, the new reports, Expanded Discovery in Criminal Cases and Jailhouse Snitch Testimony, point to the places and situations in the criminal justice system where a wrongful conviction can be easily prevented.
Expanded Discovery in Criminal Cases stresses the importance of full evidentiary discovery in criminal cases. “Discovery” refers to how the prosecution must disclose all non-privileged information that is relevant in the criminal case before it goes to trial.
The Justice Project notes, “All other aspects of our constitutional system, such as due process and assistance of counsel, depend on complete discovery.” Amongst other solutions, they recommend that uniform, mandatory, and enforced discovery laws be put in place to prevent wrongful convictions.
Jailhouse Snitch Testimony highlights the prevalence of this form of questionable evidence in trials. Jailhouse snitch testimony refers to an inmate testifying against another for his or her own personal gain (e.g., reduced time in prison in exchange for the testimony).
It is often used despite being unreliable. According to the report, “A 2005 study of 111 death row exonerees found that 51 were wrongly sentenced to death in part due to testimony of witnesses with incentive to lie.” The Justice Project calls upon prosecutors to raise the standards for admissibility of jailhouse informant evidence at trial, including finding outside corroboration for the informant’s testimony and providing instructions to the jury that alert them to the reliability issues presented by snitch testimony. (Posted December 14, 2007) Read the Justice Project, Expanded Discovery in Criminal Cases and Jailhouse Snitch Testimony (both 2007). See also Resources and Innocence.

New Jersey Senate Votes to Abolish the Death Penalty

The New York Times has, "New Jersey Nears Repeal of Death Penalty."

The New Jersey Senate voted Monday to make the state the first in the country to repeal the death penalty since 1976, when the United States Supreme Court set guidelines for the nation’s current system of capital punishment.

Approval in the Senate was seen as the biggest obstacle to the repeal, and in the end, it passed 21 to 16, receiving the bare minimum number of votes required in the 40-seat chamber. Three senators did not vote.

Legislators on both sides of the debate said they expected the measure to pass easily on Thursday in the General Assembly, where Democrats hold 50 of the 80 seats.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine, a Democrat and a staunch opponent of the death penalty, has said he would sign a measure ending executions.

“Today New Jersey can become a leader, an inspiration to other states,” Senator Robert Martin, a Republican from Morris Plains who voted for the bill, said during Monday’s debate.

For those opposed to capital punishment, New Jersey’s repeal would represent a victory that has eluded them in the modern history of the death penalty. Though legislatures across the country have tried to abolish capital punishment since 1976, none have succeeded. This year alone, the legislatures in Nebraska, Montana, Maryland and New Mexico have debated bills to repeal those states’ death penalties, but each measure failed, often by a slim margin.

Chris L. Ross Next Pontotoc County, Oklahoma District Attorney

The top assistant in the Pontotoc County district attorney's office has been named to head the office. Gov. Brad Henry announced the appointment Chris L. Ross as district attorney for the 22nd District, which encompasses Pontotoc County, Oklahoma.
He succeeds William Peterson, who is resigning effective Jan. 1.
Chris L. Ross, who is 50 has 24 years of experience and has been with the prosecutor's office since 1983. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1979, Ross earned his law degree from the OU College of Law in 1982. Chris Ross is married and has two children.

During a question-and-answer period at the Oklahoma Bar Association annual meeting urged to tackle wrongful convictions, Pontotoc County First Assistant District Attorney Chris Ross, who prosecuted Glen Gore, outlined changes that have been made in the office since the Debra Sue Carter Rape and Murder case.
He said defense attorneys have immediate access to documents,tapes and other items in the prosecution's files, so a defendant's lawyers do not have to wait until a discover date to obtain information. Ross also said that prosecutors' offices, particularly those in small counties that rarely see capital cases, need more training in handling them. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater, who said his office also maintains an "open file" policy with defense attorneys, said prosecutors must be kept up to date on forensic science.
It is also important not to gauge prosecutors' success or failure by their conviction rate, he said.
"We've got to change that culture," Prater said.
The idea, he said, is seeing that justice is done.
"It's not a hash mark," Prater said. "It's a human life.

Big changes for Ada, Oklahoma. I wish the Best for Chris Ross and the Great and Proud people of Oklahoma.

During Peterson’s career several high profile murder cases have been tried. Bill Peterson has also been the subject of much controversy because of his prosecutions of Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson. Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson, who were both convicted of the 1982 murder and rape of Debra Sue Carter. After Williamson received a last-minute stay of execution, and Fritz's long-standing efforts to obtain post-conviction DNA testing were successful, DNA results conclusively excluded both men as the source of the semen found in the victim's body. The profile from the semen instead matched Glen Gore. Glen Gore was the prosecutor's key witness. Further DNA testing also proved that not one of the seventeen hairs deemed to be "matches" with Williamson and/or Fritz at the time of trial (under the microscopic analysis then available) belonged to either. As a result, both defendants were exonerated and released from prison in 1999. Bill Peterson also got questionable convictions on Ward and Fontenot , and they are still in prison.
Peterson sued author John Grisham in September 2007 for libel for the portrayal of him in Grisham's first nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man." Other defendants in the lawsuit are:

• Author Dennis Fritz ,who tells his story of his unwarranted prosecution and wrongful conviction his book "Journey Toward Justice".
  


• Barry Scheck, one of Fritz's lawyers who helped exonerate him in 1999, and a co-author of "Actual Innocence," that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
  


• Robert Mayer, author of "The Dreams of Ada." - Mayer's book discusses another Pontotoc County murder case that is also mentioned in Grisham's book. The murder of Denice Haraway and the subsequent investigation, prosecution and conviction of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. Bill Peterson got questionable convictions on Ward and Fontenot , and they are still in prison. Robert Mayer, author of The Dreams of Ada; and Barry Scheck, with The Innocence Project, have also filed motions asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit against them.
  


• The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of "The Innocent Man" and "Actual Innocence."
  


• Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
  


• Broadway Books, publisher of "The Dreams of Ada."
  


• Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of "Journey Toward Justice."Seven Locks Press and James Riordan have asked that the complaint against them be dismissed for failure to state a claim.


• In addition to Peterson, other plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Gary Rogers, a former Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent, and Melvin Hett, a retired OSBI criminalist. Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers were instrumental in the conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma in 1982. The Peterson and Rogers lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges civil conspiracy, libel, placing a person in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

John Grisham Asking Federal Court To Dismiss "The Innocent Man" Libel Lawsuit

OKLAHOMA CITY – Author John Grisham is asking an Oklahoma federal court to dismiss a libel lawsuit filed against him by Pontotoc County District Attorney Bill Peterson and others over their depiction in Grisham’s nonfiction best-seller "The Innocent Man", about the prosecution of Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson for the 1982 murder of Debra Sue Carter. The Pontotoc County District Attorney Bill Peterson is the prosecutor who sent Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson, 2 innocent men to prison for 12 years with no real evidence against them. The real killer Glen Gore, was the prosecution's key witness. Other defendants in the case:

• Author Dennis Fritz ,who tells his story of his unwarranted prosecution and wrongful conviction his book "Journey Toward Justice".
• Barry Scheck, one of Fritz’s lawyers who helped exonerate him in 1999, and a co-author of “Actual Innocence,” that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
  
• Robert Mayer, author of “The Dreams of Ada.” - Mayer’s book discusses another Pontotoc County murder case that is also mentioned in Grisham’s book. The murder of Denice Haraway and the subsequent investigation, prosecution and conviction of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. Bill Peterson got questionable convictions on Ward and Fontenot , and they are still in prison.
  Robert Mayer, author of The Dreams of Ada; and Barry Scheck, with The Innocence Project, have also filed motions asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit against them.
  
  
• The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of “The Innocent Man” and “Actual Innocence.”
  
• Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
  
• Broadway Books, publisher of “The Dreams of Ada.”
  
• Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of “Journey Toward Justice.”
  Seven Locks Press and James Riordan have asked that the complaint against them be dismissed for failure to state a claim.
  
  In addition to Peterson, other plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Gary Rogers, a former Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent, and Melvin Hett, a retired OSBI criminalist.
  Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers were instrumental in the conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma in 1982.
  The Peterson and Rogers lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges civil conspiracy, libel, placing a person in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
  Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson were eventually exonerated by DNA evidence after serving about 12 years in prison. A man named Glen Gore was ultimately convicted of the murder of Debra Sue Carter.
  Ron Williamson was sentenced to death for the Carter murder, Fritz received a life sentence. Ron Williamson died Dec. 4, 2004 at the age of 51.
  Dennis Fritz, recently wrote a book called, "Journey Toward Justice" about the case, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
  Attorneys for Grisham, hang much of their argument for dismissal on First Amendment freedom of speech.
  “Grisham’s book, just like each of the other books about which the plaintiffs complain, is core political speech protected by the First Amendment and representing the highest order of public service by raising awareness about important social and political issues – the criminal justice system – and bringing to light issues of public concern about the performance by government officials of their public duties,” their brief states.
  They also told the court that long-established Oklahoma law forecloses any civil liability for criticism of the acts of public officials, except for any statement that “falsely imputes crime to the officer so criticized.”
  The attorneys contend that Grisham’s book amounts to constitutionally protected opinion, and that the complaint “does not contain enough facts to state any claim against Grisham and Doubleday that is plausible on its face.”
  They also said the plaintiffs should be required to identify specifically each allegedly actionable statement made by each defendant.
  “Their suggestion that The Innocent Man portrays them generally as ‘bad guys’ for their roles in the controversial convictions discussed in the book does not state a claim against Grisham and Doubleday,” the author’s attorneys stated to the court.
  The attorneys also contend that the plaintiffs’ false-light invasion of privacy claim is deficient for similar reasons, with the added argument that a public official can have no expectation of privacy with respect to the performance of public duties.
  
  Bill Peterson recently announced his intention to retire Jan. 2008, after serving some 27 years as district attorney.

Barbara's Journey Toward Justice Wrongful Convictions Blogs and Articles

A Quick Plug
If you have any interest in wrongful convictions in The United States, you have to check out Injustice Served Blog.
Injustice Served is a new wrongful conviction blog that has articles, case summaries, and resources for those interested in learning more about wrongful convictions in the United States.
With links to some of the best wrongful conviction website and blogs.
I would like to Thank Injustice Served for adding mine Barbara's Journey Toward Justice

Be sure to check it out and add it to your RSS feed!

Miscarriage of Justice

Well, I only thought I had witnessed the greatest miscarriage of justice in the U.S. (the O.J. Simpson case), but after reading John Grisham's, The Innocent Man and Dennis Fritz's, Journey Toward Justice, I am completely assured there must hang some sort of black cloud over the city of Ada. Perhaps the lack of ozone

read more digg story

NBC Action News Mark Clegg's Report Journey Toward Freedom

I would like to share a great story reported by my friend: Mark Clegg
NBC Action News
Journey to Freedom

Innocent until proven guilty – that is the foundation of the United States' justice system. But can you prove guilt when it doesn't exist?

Depending on how you look at him, Joe Amrine is a lucky guy. He is alive, but at 51 years old he is still serving time for a crime he didn't commit.

"Dying scares me now for real," Amrine said. "I spent all that time on death row."

Dennis Fritz, like Amrine, also spent years in prison for a murder he didn't commit.

"It was a roller coaster ride out of hell every day in that penitentiary," Fritz commented.

Despite nearly losing everything before being exonerated and finally released from prison, both men say they'll never be truly free.

"I have not found any peace," Amrine said. "Like I said, 26 years is a long time to be in prison."

Fritz added, "Every time a cop car would drive by or the telephone would ring and nobody would be on the phone, you know, I would be thinking they were coming after me again."

Burglary, forgery and robbery charges landed Amrine in prison in 1977. Several years into his 15-year sentence, someone murdered another inmate. Amrine got the blame. He was charged, convicted and sentenced to death. Multiple appeals were denied.

"So now, I'm facing the situation where I've got to come to grips with myself – you're going to get executed," Amrine recalled.

All for a crime he didn't commit.

Fritz was charged with the rape and murder of Debbie Sue Carter.

"I had never met her in my life," Fritz said.

He was sentenced to life in prison for a crime he had nothing do with.

Both men spent much of their lives behind bars. After being cleared by DNA evidence, they were released. One man stands free while the other is still imprisoned from within.

"A counselor came to my door and was hollering in through the door," Fritz said.

Amrine added, "So he says, 'You're leaving tomorrow.'"

"I actually just dropped to my knees and just thanked the Lord and was weeping and sobbing," Fritz said.

Amrine said, "I seen all the cameras and stuff and I said, 'Ah yeah, I'm gone.'"

NBC Action News cameras watched Amrine walk out of prison a free man on July 28, 2003. But the road back home has been anything but easy.

"Every day I wake up, I find a new problem," Amrine said of the years since his release. "And they all lead right back to being in prison."

From relationships to crowds; from paying bills to holding a job, it's a struggle for Amrine. He spends much of his time in solitude at his favorite park. And for a time, he fell back into drugs.

"During that I remember going to the park and just sitting there crying because my whole situation… it was just too much," he said.

Fritz lived in fear for two solid years after his release. It was only after the real killer was charged that he found any peace.

"And so in my mind, instead of doing 12 years, I did 14 years," he said.

Eight and a half years later he still has flashbacks.

"Out of the blue... actually, I can see something that will flash me back to a certain incident that happened in the penitentiary," Fritz said.

Fritz found a great deal of peace writing his story in the book Journey Toward Justice. He also worked with author John Grisham in telling the story of his and Ron Williamson's case. "The Innocent Man" became another Grisham best-seller.

"My mission right now, and probably for the rest of my life, is to help wrongfully convicted inmates out," he said.

It's a helping hand that can make a difference for someone like Amrine, who still struggles to find his way.

"I don't see how anybody could be in prison that long for something they didn't do and get out and actually experience the real feel of freedom," Amrine said.

According to the Innocence Project, which helped free Fritz, DNA has cleared 208 people nationwide and led to their release from prison.

Fritz sued and won compensation for the years he spent in prison. Amrine filed a similar lawsuit, but it was thrown out by the courts. He is appealing. The case is expected to come up in January.

But just because you have money doesn't mean all is good. The Oklahoma district attorney who convicted Fritz recently filed a lawsuit against Fritz and Grisham, claiming libel and slander.

Reported by: Mark Clegg
NBC Action News

Clegg's Comments - Share your thoughts with Mark Clegg. He will regularly be adding entries and responding to viewer comments here.

Comments can also be added on my blog, "Barbara's Journey Toward Justice" here

Lee Wayne Hunt I Am Innocent CBS 60 Minutes "Evidence Of Injustice" Video Link

For anyone who missed Lee Wayne Hunt on CBS 60 Minutes, I have posted a link to the CBS video called "Evidence Of Injustice".
Steve Kroft and The Washington Post's John Solomon report on a flawed forensic tool that has been used in hundreds of court cases, possibly landing innocent people behind bars.
The science, called bullet lead analysis, was used by the FBI for 40 years in thousands of cases, and some of the people it helped put in jail may be innocent.

As correspondent Steve Kroft reports, one of them is Lee Wayne Hunt, who is now serving a life sentence for murder in North Carolina.
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Lee Wayne Hunt says he's been behind bars for over 22 years and 6 months, and maintains he's an innocent man. "What I've said from the word get go that I ain't -- never killed nobody. I didn't have nothing to do with this," Hunt tells Kroft.

Hunt was convicted in 1986 of murdering two people in Fayetteville, N.C., based on the testimony of two questionable witnesses and what turned out to be erroneous ballistics testimony from the FBI lab.

For years, the FBI believed that lead in bullets had unique chemical signatures, and that by breaking them down and analyzing them, it was possible to match bullets, not only to a single batch of ammunition coming out of a factory, but to a single box of bullets. And that is what the FBI did in the case of Lee Wayne Hunt, tying a bullet fragment found where the murders took place to a box of bullets the prosecutors linked to Hunt.

"I put it exactly the way it sounded to me, and the way that I believe it to be," Hunt says. "He said that this box of bullets is the same box of bullets that was used to kill these people, made on, about the same time."

"I think everybody in the courtroom assumed that this was valid evidence," Richard Rosen, Hunt's attorney, says.

Asked how important he thinks this was to his client's conviction, Rosen says, "I thought it was very important to our client's conviction. It was the single piece of physical evidence corroborating their story. And it came from, you know, it came from the mountaintop."

The FBI first used bullet lead analysis while investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy, trying to match pieces of bullets discovered at Dealey Plaza with bullets found in Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle. Read more Here

CBS 60 Minutes video called "Evidence Of Injustice".
Video URL
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3518353n
Copy the link above to share video.

Also on the video is Barry Scheck On The FBI
Barry Scheck, a director of the Innocence Project, talks about the FBI's duty to notify defendants.
The non-profit group The Innocence Project has helped free more than 200 people who were wrongly convicted -- some because of misleading "expert" testimony based on inadequate "science."
How many more innocent people are waiting to be rescued from prison.


Read More from Washington Post here
FBI's Forensic Test Full of Holes
Lee Wayne Hunt is one of hundreds of defendants whose convictions are in question now that FBI forensic evidence has been discredited.

By John Solomon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 18, 2007;
Hundreds of defendants sitting in prisons nationwide have been convicted with the help of an FBI forensic tool that was discarded more than two years ago. But the FBI lab has yet to take steps to alert the affected defendants or courts, even as the window for appealing convictions is closing, a joint investigation by The Washington Post and "60 Minutes" has found.

Update
Silent Injustice
Bullet-matching Science Debunked

John Solomon
Staff Writer, The Washington Post
Monday, November 19, 2007; 12:00 PM
At noon ET on Monday, Nov. 19 Washington Post staff writer John Solomon responded to reader questions and comments about "Silent Injustice" his 6-month investigation with 60 MINUTES correspondent Steve Kroft into a flawed science used in the convictions of thousands of defendants, scores of whom may be innocent.

To keep up to date on the latest investigation news and projects in the Post, read the Washington Post Investigations blog.

60 Minutes Evidence Of Injustice - Flawed Forensics and Wrongful Convictions.

Watch CBS 60 Minutes Sunday, at 7 p.m., for a special joint report from 60 Minutes’ Steve Kroft and the Washington Post’s John Solomon on a flawed forensic tool used to convict hundreds of defendants, dozens of whom may be innocent.
In their first joint investigation, 60 Minutes and The Washington Post on Sunday, Nov. 18, will examine the government's failure to notify defendants nationwide that they were convicted with the help of flawed forensic science or inaccurate testimony.

60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft, producer Ira Rosen and the Post's John Solomon report on scores of cases where defendants may not have received a fair trial because prosecution scientists overstated their conclusions or used faulty statistics.

What's more, none of those defendants has been informed that they may be entitled to have their cases reviewed. The results of their six-month investigation will appear Sunday, Nov. 18, in The Washington Post and on 60 Minutes, airing at 7 p.m. ET/PT. The case files and other information gathered during the joint investigation will also be posted on the Post's Web site.

Read more
CBS 60 Minutes web site .
Post Comments HERE

Dennis Fritz Guest Speaker Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty Kansas City Chapter

Dennis Fritz will be guest speaker at the Annual Meeting
for Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty Kansas City Chapter
Date Nov. 15, 2007 - Location - First United Methodist Church on the Independence Square, 400 W. Maple, Independence, MO 64050.
Time 7:00 P.M.
Dennis Fritz, Exonerated after spending 12 years with a life sentence in Ada, Oklahoma. Thanks to help from the Innocence Project of New York, Fritz was granted a new trial, found innocent and freed from prison in 1999.
Mr Fritz is a Board member for the Kansas City Chapter of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty and author of Journey Toward Justice.
Dennis Fritz appeared on "Dateline," "Hannity and Colmes" and other national TV and radio shows.

A History of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty
From MADP website:

A loosely structured statewide abolition coalition has been active in Missouri since at least 1987 when Missouri passed legislation to permit lethal injection and prepared its first execution since re-instating the death penalty in 1977. Then, MADP was an umbrella coalition comprised of regional death penalty groups in St. Louis and Kansas City, secular organizations, faith-based groups and individuals.

As we grew over the following decades, we realized that the structure of MADP was too loose to work effectively to achieve our goals. Over several months, we engaged in a process that shaped the separate organizations and individuals already engaged into a cohesive group. MADP became incorporated and received 501 (c) 3 not-for profit status in late 2005. We have approved three chapter groups and eleven affiliate groups to be members of MADP. We have a working board, a clear process for decision-making, and an active committee structure to participate in the work. We invite you to join us as we work for abolition.

Photos John Grisham, Author, Dennis Fritz, Author Scott Turow and Cedric Willis at Mississippi Innocence Project Dinner Fundraiser
Photos of John Grisham, Author, Dennis Fritz, Author Scott Turow and Cedric Willis at Mississippi Innocence Project Dinner Fundraiser Photos provided by Dennis Fritz with his permission.Authors John Grisham, Dennis Fritz and Scott Turow and exonerated Cedric Willis attended a dinner together in order to raise money for the Mississippi Innocence Project at the Ole Miss law school. John Grisham, Dennis Fritz and Scott Turow have supported similar projects in law schools across the country.

John Grisham author, "The Innocent Man," profiling a man wrongfully convicted and freed years later with the help of several attorneys and the Innocence Project.

Dennis Fritz author of "Journey Toward Justice". Thanks to help from the Innocence Project of New York, Fritz was granted a new trial, found innocent and freed from prison in 1999.

Scott Turow is the author of "Presumed Innocent".

All three books are a Bestseller here Amazon.com .

For more exclusive photos from The Mississippi Innocence Project Dinner Fundraiser provided by Dennis Fritz with his permission, please visit my other blog called "Photos Mississippi Innocence Project"

Here.

DA Bill Peterson Who Is Suing John Grisham Dennis Fritz Robert Mayer Barry Scheck and Their Publishers Retiring January

Bill Peterson district attorney for the 22nd district that includes Pontotoc, Seminole and Hughes counties, in Oklahoma said he plans to retire after Jan. 1. after 27 years.
In Sept. this year less then 2 months ago, Bill Peterson decided to sue John Grisham and Doubleday Dell Publishing Group.
The lawsuit also names:
•Dennis Fritz, the author of “Journey Toward Justice.”
•Robert Mayer, author of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Barry Scheck, one of Fritz’s lawyers who helped exonerate him, and a co-author of “Actual Innocence,” that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
•The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of “The Innocent Man” and “Actual Innocence.”
•Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
•Broadway Books, publisher of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of “Journey Toward Justice.”The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges civil conspiracy, libel, placing a person in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Peterson says the defendants "coordinated their efforts to launch a massive joint defamatory attack" on him.

William N. Peterson got murder convictions on two men, Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson, who did 12 years in prison before they were cleared by DNA evidence. Fritz and Williamson's experiences are chronicled in two books, John Grisham's first nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man," and Dennis Fritz's, book, "Journey Toward Justice". Bill Peterson got questionable convictions on two other men, Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, in a separate murder case.
They are still in prison.
Robert Mayer, is the author of “The Dreams of Ada.” A book written primary about the murder of Denice Haraway and the subsequent investigation, prosecution and conviction of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. The other Plaintiff in the lawsuit is Gary Rogers, a former agent for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers were instrumental in the conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma in 1982.

"It is something I've been thinking about for a while and came to the conclusion that it is time,” Bill Peterson" told the Ada Evening News . "I am 64 years old and came to the realization it's time to go to another phase in my life.”

UPDATE SEPT.2008 - Click Here For Update - CASE DISMISSED

Photo Dennis Fritz John Grisham Scott Turow Event Benefit Mississippi Innocence Project

Photo Barbara Gauntt/The Clarion-Ledger
Exoneree Dennis Fritz (from left), joins authors John Grisham and Scott Turow to speak with media before a benefit for the Mississippi Innocence Project at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson Monday evening.
Fritz was exonerated in 1999 after he contacted The Innocence Project and DNA testing proved him innocent of the 1982 rape and murder of a woman.

John Grisham calls Dennis Fritz's story compelling and fascinating. From the photo it looks like Scott Turow also finds Dennis Fritz interesting. Three great authors I must add.

Gregory Wells Bowman thought Dennis was one of the most moving speakers at inaugural fundraising dinner for the newly-established Mississippi Innocence Project.
Gregory Wells Bowman
Associate Professor of Law
Director, International Law Center
Gregory Wells Bowman has a blog called "Law Career Blog"
I highly recommend Dennis Fritz's Book "Journey Toward Justice" to order click On Amazon Here
International Orders Order Here "Journey Toward Justice" by Dennis Fritz From Around The World click on here Amazon International Just type in Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz

Dennis Fritz Featured Speaker at The Iowans Against the Death Penalty's 45th Anniversary Dinner

Dennis Fritz will be the featured speaker at the Iowans Against the Death Penalty's 45 th anniversary dinner Oct.27 th. Dennis Fritz, author of "Journey Toward Justice," the story of his wrongful conviction in the 1982 murder and rape of a waitress. He was freed when DNA evidence cleared him in 1999 after serving 11 years in prison. The other defendant convicted and later freed in the murder, Ron Williamson, was the subject of John Grisham's book "The Innocent Man."

James Benzoni, a Des Moines lawyer, will be honored at the anniversary dinner for his efforts to keep Iowa free of capital punishment. He once faced murder charges and became a lawyer as a result.

Others to be honored

In addition to James Benzoni, the following people will be honored:
• Former Gov. Tom Vilsack, who during eight years as governor fought attempts to reinstate the death penalty
• David Baldus , a University of Iowa law professor who conducted research on racial disparity in death penalty sentencing cases
• John Ely , a former state lawmaker who sought to abolish the death penalty in the 1960s and witnessed the last execution by hanging in Iowa in 1963.

James Benzoni Honored

James Benzoni, a champion of immigrants and the poor, will be honored Oct. 27th for his fight against the death penalty. James Benzoni, a Des Moines lawyer, will be honored at the Iowans Against the Death Penalty's 45th anniversary dinner Oct. 27th for his efforts to keep Iowa free of capital punishment. He once faced murder charges and became a lawyer as a result.

When several lawmakers led a drive to reinstate the death penalty in 1995, Benzoni stood before the Iowa Legislature and told his story: He once faced murder charges and became a lawyer because of it. People didn't soon forget his passion, which has grown as he has become one of the state's top immigration lawyers.
In addition to James Benzoni, the following people will be honored:
• Former Gov. Tom Vilsack, who during eight years as governor fought attempts to reinstate the death penalty.
• David Baldus , a University of Iowa law professor who conducted research on racial disparity in death penalty sentencing cases.
• John Ely , a former state lawmaker who sought to abolish the death penalty in the 1960s and witnessed the last execution by hanging in Iowa in 1963.

Featured speaker: Dennis Fritz, author of "Journey Toward Justice," the story of his wrongful conviction in the 1982 murder and rape of a waitress. He was freed when DNA evidence cleared him in 1999 after serving 11 years in prison. The other defendant convicted and later freed in the murder, Ron Williamson, was the subject of John Grisham's book "The Innocent Man."

Most Moving Speakers At Inaugural Fundraising Dinner Mississippi Innocence Project Were Dennis Fritz and Cedric Willis

The most moving speakers at inaugural fundraising dinner for the newly-established Mississippi were Dennis Fritz of Oklahoma and Cedric Willis of Mississippi, two men wrongfully convicted of separate crimes, so says Gregory Wells Bowman .
Associate Professor of Law
Director, International Law Center
Gregory Wells Bowman has a blog called "Law Career Blog", ALL ABOUT LAW SCHOOLS, CAREERS IN LAW, AND ALTERNATIVE CAREER OPTIONS FOR LAWYERS

Below is from his blog. To read more click Here

The Mississippi Innocence Project

Tonight I attended the inaugural fundraising dinner for the newly-established Mississippi Innocence Project. Originally a branch of the Innocence Project in New Orleans, the MIP is now housed at the University of Mississippi School of Law in Oxford, Mississippi. (The national Innocence Project's website is located here.) I have not had much time to reflect on the event as of yet, so this post is essentially a recounting of my observations from the evening. Not a news report per se, but also not an opinion piece. Something in between, I suppose.

I attended the dinner for two reasons. First, as I have stated before on this blog, I am the faculty adviser for the Mississippi College School of Law's student-run Public Interest Law Group (PILG). Second, I attended because Mississippi is badly in need of public interest law support. It's a poor state with a relatively high crime rate and a wide gulf between the haves and the have-nots. So organizations like the MIP need support and assistance from entities like PILG and my law school.

Tonight's keynote speakers were Mississippi author John Grisham and Chicago author Scott Turow. They were eloquent, witty and passionate, which is no surprise--but the evening's most moving speakers were Dennis Fritz of Oklahoma and Cedric Willis of Mississippi, two men wrongfully convicted of separate crimes. Fritz and Willis each served 12 years in prison before being exonerated and released.

Dennis Fritz and Iowans Against The Death Penalty Events and Book Signings

Journey Toward Justice author, Dennis Fritz, who served 12 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, will share his experiences and discuss his wrongful conviction, incarceration and eventual exoneration through The Innocence Project at St. Catherine of Siena, the Catholic Parish on the Campus of Drake University. Oct. 28th. Dennis Fritz is the other innocent man in John Grisham's book, The Innocent Man.
Dennis Fritz will also keynote the Iowans Against the Death Penalty 45th Anniversary Award Dinner on Saturday evening, October 27 at the Catholic Pastoral Center.
The event is being presented by the Iowans Against The Death Penalty.

About the book Journey Toward Justice (Description from Seven Locks Press)

A chilling illustration of how one prosecutor’s reckless pursuit of justice shattered a man’s life, Journey Toward Justice, is a testimony to the triumph of the human spirit and how one man’s extraordinary faith and resolve, along with the wonder of technology, help transform his life yet again.

“The story of the unwarranted prosecution and wrongful conviction of Dennis Fritz is compelling and fascinating,” said author John Grisham. “After serving eleven years for a murder he did not commit, Dennis was exonerated and had the strength and courage to put his life back together.”

About the Author

Prior to his conviction, Dennis Fritz taught middle school science and coached football, basketball, and track. Since his release, Fritz is a spokesman for the Innocence Project at fundraising events and works first hand with inmates. He serves as a board member of the Coalition to Demolish the Death Penalty

"Our law students work on cases just like Dennis’ and can look to his story for inspiration. Each new clinic student is required to read about Dennis’ case and the how it illustrates the flaws in our justice system. His story and courage has helped us in our own success in freeing four wrongfully convicted men in the past six years."said California Innocence Project Director and CWSL Professor Justin Brooks.
"There have been 181 post-conviction DNA exonerations in America. The exonerated and their families are the heart and soul of this movement. There is no more decent and dignified a man, nor a more gentle soul, than Dennis Fritz", said Innocence Project Attorney Barry C. Scheck. "He has had the fortitude to tell his whole story. As always, I am in awe of his courage and humbled by his efforts."

In 1987, Fritz was arrested, with his friend Ron Williamson, and charged with the rape and murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Okla. The case displayed all the warning signs of a wrongful conviction. An overzealous prosecutor relied on flimsy circumstantial data to create the illusion of guilt. Distorted statements, questionable testimony of a jailhouse informant, faulty hair evidence, dream confessions, and other bizarre clues completed the prosecution’s weak case. Though innocent, the vote of a single juror saved Fritz from the death penalty and he was sentenced to life behind bars.
After 10 years, he discovered The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal organization in New York, devoted to exonerate the wrongfully convicted through post-conviction DNA testing. With the aid of famed attorney Barry Scheck – and irrefutable DNA evidence – Fritz and Williamson were exonerated (1999) after 12 years of wrongful imprisonment and the identity of the real killer was discovered. The real killer, who turned out to be one of the prosecution’s key witnesses, was arrested, convicted, and finally brought to justice.

At the 45th Anniversary Award Dinner, University of Iowa law professor David Baldus will be honored for his advocacy work in maintaining Iowa’s position as a non-death penalty state by Iowans Against the Death Penalty when he receives the organization’s Gov. Harold E. Hughes Award on Oct. 27th.

Baldus is considered one of the nation’s leading death penalty scholars. When Iowa has considered legislation designed to reinstate capital punishment in recent years, he has conducted research on the negative effects those laws would bring to the state. He has also testified in the legislature on the issue and has developed amendments and legal critiques of the proposed death penalty bills that aided their legislative opponents.
Along with Baldus, Iowans Against the Death Penalty will honor former Gov. Tom Vilsack, Des Moines attorney James Benzoni and the late Sen. John Ely.
The award ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Catholic Pastoral Center at 601 Grand Ave. in Des Moines. For more information on the banquet, contact 515-963-2342.
About IADP
Iowans Against the Death Penalty (IADP) is an independent, non-partisan, non-sectarian, grass-roots organization committed to preventing reinstatement of the death penalty in Iowa through public education and political activism. Iowa law does not provide for punishment of any crime by death.

Dennis Fritz other events in Iowa;
Oct.25 Dennis Fritz will be on WHO-radio 1040AM Steve "Deace in the Afternoon" 4-6 p.m.Talk Show
Oct. 26 Speaking at University of Iowa Law School call school for more information.
Oct. 26th Friday Book signing at Barnes and Noble Coral Ridge Mall 7 p.m. Coralville, IA
Oct. 27th Saturday Book signing at Barnes and Noble 2 p.m. call Barnes and Noble for more information
Oct. 29 Monday Speaking at Drake Law School

New York Leads Nation In Wrongful Convictions

New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty www.nyadp.org
Abolitionists! As if we needed another reason to oppose the death penalty in New York State…Please watch for coverage in your newspapers and get letters into the editor and to your State Senator/Assemblyperson! Go to http://capwiz.com/lwvny/state/main/?state=NY to find their contact information.

INNOCENCE PROJECT REPORT SHOWS NEW YORK LEADS NATION IN WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS (and your Senators have done nothing to prevent it)
By David Kaczynski:
Today’s report by The Innocence Project detailing New York’s shameful record as a national leader in wrongful convictions must give pause to anyone who thinks our state should reinstate the death penalty.
We are the national leader in DNA-based exonerations of people convicted of murders they did not commit in this decade. Worse than Texas. If that doesn’t give us pause, what will?
Six of the seven wrongfully convicted in this decade could have faced the death penalty were it in effect at the time the crimes were committed, and he seventh was originally charged with a capital offense. If we restore the death penalty, the question is when - not if - an innocent person will be executed in New York.
Wrongful convictions have for a long time been among the major reasons that growing majorities of New Yorkers now support life without parole as the maximum sentence for those convicted of the most serious crimes.
Capital punishment is a system that buries its worst mistakes. You can’t correct a mistake after someone is executed.
And the fact remains that five of every six homicide cases do not yield any biological and DNA evidence. If the problems of mistaken eyewitness testimony, false confessions, forensic errors, inadequate legal defense and mishandling of evidence - or worse - by law enforcement officials marks cases where at least DNA evidence was able to establish innocence, how many other people languish in prison and potentially face capital punishment despite their innocence?
At a minimum, the Innocence Project report highlights a series of reforms to improve criminal procedures and guarantee the right of all defendants to an effective defense that must be enacted before any consideration can be given to restoring the death penalty.
Governor Spitzer and state legislators should read the Innocence Project report carefully. Worst in the nation is not where we want to be.
They should learn what all New Yorkers have learned. We can live without the death penalty.

Authors John Grisham, Dennis Fritz, Scott Turow to Speak at Miss. Innocence Project Dinner Fundraiser

Monday Oct. 22, Authors John Grisham, Dennis Fritz and Scott Turow will attend a dinner together in order to raise money for the Mississippi Innocence Project at the Ole Miss law school. The Fundraiser Dinner is to support the Mississippi Innocence Project for wrongly convicted.
John Grisham, Dennis Fritz and Scott Turow have supported similar projects in law schools across the country.
John Grisham author, "The Innocent Man," profiling a man wrongfully convicted and freed years later with the help of several attorneys and the Innocence Project.
Dennis Fritz author of "Journey Toward Justice". Thanks to help from the Innocence Project of New York, Fritz was granted a new trial, found innocent and freed from prison in 1999.
Scott Turow is the author of "Presumed Innocent". All three books are a Bestseller on Amazon.com

The Mississippi Innocence Project was established with initial funding by Grisham and Columbus attorney Wilbur Colom, a graduate of Antioch Law School. Tucker Carrington, director of the Mississippi Innocence Project, said he expects 300 to 350 guests to attend the dinner.

Cedric Willis of Jackson, Miss. is also scheduled to speak. Willis was convicted in 1997 of murder and robbery and sentenced to life in prison despite the fact that DNA evidence excluded him as the perpetrator. Thanks to help from the Innocence Project of New Orleans, Willis was granted a new trial, found innocent and freed from prison in 2006.

The Innocence Project is currently a network of law schools, journalism schools and public defender offices. To prevent future wrongful convictions, they work with legislators and law enforcement on local, state and national levels to conduct research and training and propose a vast range of solutions for them.
The Innocence Project is a non-profit legal clinic that was founded in 1992 at Yeshiva University. The project is dedicated to helping wrongfully convicted people by the means of DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.
In the United States, 208 individuals have had their convictions overturned due to DNA testing, including 15 who served on death row.
Each inmate served an average of 12 years in prison before they were found not guilty.

Red Tape Not Bars Keeping The Innocent In Jail

It’s a very sad thought that red tape, and not bars, could be keeping the innocent in jail. It is also sad that we do not hear these stories on our local and national news programs.
Via USA Today:Via USA Today
Since 2006, the Justice Department has yet to spend any of the $8 million set aside by Congress for DNA tests for convicts to prove their innocence while it has used $214 million to collect DNA from convicted criminals and improve crime labs, records show.
"DNA evidence is such a powerful tool in proving guilt or innocence that it's inexcusable not to use it," says Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the chief sponsor of a bill to provide more funding for what is known as innocence testing. If spent, the $8 million could affect dozens of cases, says Barry Scheck, a defense lawyer who specializes in using DNA to overturn convictions.
The article goes on to explain that rules imposed by Congress on how the money can be spent, make getting at the funds almost impossible.

Gallup's Poll Sixty-nine Percent Americans Support Death Penalty

Capital punishment is overwhelmingly supported by the American people.
Sixty-nine percent of Americans support the Death Penalty and the majority say death penalty is applied fairly. Highest point was in 1994, but its risen in the last 4 years.

The Oct. 4-7 Gallup poll indicates that 69% of Americans respond "yes" when asked this question: "Are you in favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder?" This level of support for the death penalty is generally in line with the level of support that Gallup has measured in 13 polls featuring this question since 1999.
Most people do not know the danger that innocent people will be executed because of errors in the criminal justice system. Most Americans do not know the reasons, why innocent people are wrongly convicted in capital cases. The reasons included:

eyewitness error - from confusion or faulty memory.
government misconduct - by both the police and the prosecution.
junk science - mishandled evidence or use of unqualified "experts."
snitch testimony - often given in exchange for a reduction in sentence.
false confessions - resulting from mental illness or retardation, as well as from police torture
other - hearsay, questionable circumstantial evidence, etc.

The current emphasis on faster executions by the government, and less resources for the defense, and an expansion in the number of death cases mean that the execution of innocent people is inevitable. There is an increasing number of innocent defendants being found on death row. That is a clear sign that our process for sentencing people to death is fraught with many errors which cannot be remedied once an execution occurs.

Two Great Quotes
"People are largely unaware of the information critical to a judgement on the morality of the death penalty . . . if they were better informed they would consider it shocking, unjust and unacceptable."

-- Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

"Perhaps the bleakest fact of all is that the death penalty is imposed not only in a freakish and discriminatory manner, but also in some cases upon defendants who are actually innocent."
-Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., 1994

John Grisham "The Appeal" Legal Thriller

Grisham's next legal thriller has been titled as "The Appeal"

John Grisham’s upcoming 384-page legal thriller that will be released for sale on January 29, 2008, has been titled as “The Appeal.”

In an interview to Des Moines Register, Grisham said the fictional book, set in Mississippi, will focus on the election of state Supreme Court judges.

“It’s a real political hotbed issue right now,” he said. “And these races have become just rotten with special-interest groups, cash and judges taking huge campaign donations from lawyers and parties with cases pending before the court.”

“It’s turned into a terrible system, and I hope to bring some attention to that issue.”

Source: Random House, Des Moines Register

Looks like 2008 will be THE year full of legal thrillers for John Grisham, with "The Innocent Man" lawsuit, and his new book "The Appeal."
For those who do not know John Grisham has been named in a libel lawsuit filed over his nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man". The book is about the 1982 murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma.

At the center of the lawsuit is an Oklahoma prosecutor by the name of William N. Peterson. He got murder convictions on two men, Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson, who did 12 years in prison before they were cleared by DNA evidence. Fritz and Williamson's experiences are chronicled in two books, John Grisham's first nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man," and Fritz's, "Journey Toward Justice".
Bill Peterson got questionable convictions on two other men, Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, in a separate murder case. They are still in prison.
Robert Mayer, is the author of “The Dreams of Ada.” A book written primary about the murder of Denice Haraway and the subsequent investigation, prosecution and conviction of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot.
The other Plaintiff is Gary Rogers, a former agent for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers were instrumental in the conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma in 1982.

The lawsuit also names:
•Dennis Fritz, the author of “Journey Toward Justice.”
•Robert Mayer, author of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Barry Scheck, one of Fritz’s lawyers who helped exonerate him, and a co-author of “Actual Innocence,” that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
•The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of “The Innocent Man” and “Actual Innocence.”
•Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
•Broadway Books, publisher of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of “Journey Toward Justice.”
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges civil conspiracy, libel, placing a person in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Peterson says the defendants "coordinated their efforts to launch a massive joint defamatory attack" on him and the detective.

"There's no merit," to the suit, James C. Riordan says. The reason his book published two days before Grisham's was competitive.

Comment from Dennis Fritz, author of "Journey Toward Justice".
“The problem is that Mr. Peterson convicted two innocent men, sent Ronnie and I to the penitentiary for 12 years, based upon alleged evidence that did not go beyond a reasonable doubt." Fritz said the lawsuit is merely a power play by Peterson “to regain what he has lost because of his actions, or mis-actions.”
“He cannot handle the truth that’s been brought out in both Mr. Grisham’s book as well as mine. Dennis Fritz said every word in his book is true as he remembered the events of that time.
“Factually, it’s backed up exactly by every word out of the transcript,” he said. Fritz said that Peterson achieved their convictions through “several huge mistakes, worse than mistakes, travesties of justice.”

I will have updates on my blog, Barbara's Journey Toward Justice here
UPDATE - OCT. 2008
Dennis Fritz, "The Innocent Man" and John Grisham's Real Life, "Appeal" This story is just unbelievable. A libel lawsuit against Dennis Fritz, author of Journey Toward Justice and author, John Grisham headed to court of appeals. Click here for more on story

Texans on Justice Contest on YouTube

The State Bar of Texas will sponsor a contest on YouTube, a video-sharing Web site."We are the first bar association in the United States - in the world - to have a YouTube contest," says Walton, a partner in Houston's Vinson & Elkins.

On Sept. 28, State Bar President Gib Walton launched the Bar's YouTube contest, "Lone Star Stories: Texans on Justice," and invited Texans of all ages as well as lawyers licensed in Texas to submit three-minute-or-less original videos that illustrate their vision of the promise of justice for all.
The contest is part of the "Let's Do Justice for Texas", A new public education initiative by the State Bar.
Learn more at www.TexasBar.com/justicefortexas.
A public initiative that Walton announced after he was sworn in as the Bar's president in June. This is another way of getting the citizens of Texas to understand the value of the justice system and the role they play in it, Walton says of the contest.

The contest offers entrants a chance to win $2,500 in each of two categories.
Those in the younger-than-18 category are competing for a $2,500 scholarship. The State Bar will award a $2,500 cash prize to the winning contestant in the 18-and-older category.
Contestants can submit videos between Oct. 15 and Dec. 15.
The State Bar will award the prizes to the winners in each category during the Bar board's Jan. 25, 2008, meeting in Grapevine. Sirman says the Bar has not yet selected the judges for the contest.
Walton says he is anxious for the videos to start coming in. "We know Texans have opinions," Walton says. "I'm looking forward to what Texans have to say.

"We're the State Bar of Texas. Let's protect the basics. Let's do justice for Texas! And, hopefully, let's have some fun while we're doing it!."
Closing lines from,
Gib Walton's Acceptance Speech
June 22, 2007 - San Antonio, Texas

John Grisham and Dennis Fritz Lawsuit - Publisher welcomes libel suit

Seven Locks Press in Santa Ana is small-time, publishing about 25 titles a year. But it has joined big boys Doubleday and Random House, as well as author John Grisham and defense attorney Barry Scheck, as defendants in a defamation lawsuit involving the justice – or rather the in justice – system in the small town of Ada, Okla.

The lawsuit is one of the best things that's ever happened to Seven Locks and its owner, Jim Riordan.

"Quite frankly, when I get to put my name next to Grisham and Random House – I'll take that any day," says Riordan, who I met a few years ago when he was working with Deacon Jones on a charity fundraiser.

At the center of the lawsuit is an Oklahoma prosecutor by the name of William N. Peterson. He got murder convictions on two men who did 12 years in prison before they were cleared by DNA evidence. He also got questionable convictions on two other men in a separate murder case. They are still in prison.

The cases spawned three books: "The Dreams of Ada" by journalist Robert Mayer; "The Innocent Man," the first non-fiction book by author Grisham; and "Journey Toward Justice," by Dennis Fritz, who was one of the wrongly convicted men. To varying degrees, the books are critical of Peterson, who has been the elected district attorney for 27 years.

Seven Locks is Fritz's publisher. The first editions of the Grisham and Fritz books and an updated version of Mayer's were all published within weeks of each other last fall. Book tours and publicity ensued. Even Fritz, the least-known writer with the smallest house, got on "Dateline," "Hannity and Colmes" and other national shows. In Oklahoma, Peterson seethed.

Last Friday, Peterson and a detective who worked on the Fritz case sued the publishers, the authors and attorney Scheck, who represented Fritz, wrote the foreward for Fritz's book and wrote about the case in his own book, "Actual Innocence." Grisham had also provided a cover blurb for Fritz.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges civil conspiracy, libel, placing a person in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Peterson says the defendants "coordinated their efforts to launch a massive joint defamatory attack" on him and the detective.

"There's no merit," to the suit, Riordan says. The reason his book published two days before Grisham's was competitive.

By rights, Riordan says, Fritz's book should have gone to a major publishing house, but with Grisham's in the works at Random, no one else wanted to touch it. So, Riordan says, he bought it on the condition that it would be finished in time to compete with Grisham's, not complement it.

You tell from his voice that Riordan is as emotionally invested in Fritz's story as he is financially. He talks about how when Fritz finally got out of jail in 1999, he went to a motel and was puzzled when they wouldn't give him a key – just a piece of plastic that resembled a credit card. And how when he went to a gas station, no attendant came out to wait on him.

"That's what losing 12 years does to you," Riordan says.

I read "The Dreams of Ada." In about three days. In most true-crime books you're scared of the defendants. In this one, you're scared of the prosecutor. I have "Journey Toward Justice" on deck. It's sold about 35,000 copies so far, the fastest-selling book in Seven Lock's 30-year history. The lawsuit will only help.



read more Orange Countrys News Source FRANK MICKADEIT
Register columnist

UPDATE SEPT. 2008 CASE DISMISSED Grisham - Fritz - Mayer - Scheck Lawsuit
Click here for update

The New York Crank: Prosecutor and criminal investigator, discredited by various authors for outrageous prosecutions, decide to sue, sue, sue, sue, sue everybody

From The New York Crank Blog The New York Crank: Prosecutor and criminal investigator, discredited by various authors for outrageous prosecutions, decide to sue, sue, sue, sue, sue everybody
More from The New York Crank Blogger..So Prosecutor Peterson, along with former Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation gumshoe Gary Rogers are suing in an Oklahoma Federal court. According to the September 28th issue of the Tulsa, OK, World, their laundry-list of defendants against charges of libel and slander include:

•John Grisham, author of “The Innocent Man.”
•Robert Mayer, author of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Dennis Fritz, the author of “Journey Toward Justice.”
•Barry Scheck, one of Fritz’s lawyers who helped exonerate him, and a co-author of “Actual Innocence,” that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
•The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of “The Innocent Man” and “Actual Innocence.”
•Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
•Broadway Books, publisher of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of “Journey Toward Justice.”

You’ll find more complete details here, with a link to the Tulsa World article:
http://justicedenied.org/wordpress/?p=23

I would fervently wish that the jury will decide to assign court and legal costs to the loser, except for one little problem:

Oklahoma juries seem to have a bad habit of regularly deciding against the wrong people. (See any of the books listed above.)
Labels: Barry Sheck, Bill Peterson, Dennis Fritz, Gary Rogers, John Grisham, Robert Mayer, Ron Williamson

Read Full story here by New York Crank here

Dennis Fritz Being Sued By The Prosecutor Who Put Him Behind Bars Video Of Story Here

Dennis Fritz Video The Kansas City News Channel Video click here KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A local man who spent 11 years in an Oklahoma prison for a murder he did not commit is now being sued by the prosecutor who put him behind bars.
Dennis Fritz was exonerated in 1999. Last year, Fritz published a book called "Journey Toward Justice" about his experience. The book pulled no punches about the prosecutor in his case, KMBC's Martin Augustine reported.
But the prosecutor said Fritz got it wrong, and is taking him to court again for libel. Watch Dennis Fritz tell his story
HERE
Dennis Fritz's Book "Journey Toward Justice" click On Amazon Here
International Orders Order Here "Journey Toward Justice" by Dennis Fritz From Around The World click on here Amazon International Just type in Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz

DA Bill Peterson Suing The Innocent Man Dennis Fritz For Emotional Distress

Dennis Fritz, who wrote the book, "Journey Toward Justice", is named as a defendant in a libel lawsuit along with , John Grisham, author of "The Innocent Man", Robert Mayer, author of "The Dreams of Ada", and all their publishers, and New York City attorney Barry Scheck, Fritz's former lawyer who once represented Fritz and is co-director of The Innocence Project. With the aid of Barry Scheck and irrefutable DNA evidence, Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson were exonerated in 1999.

Pontotoc County District Attorney Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers, a former agent for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation filed the libel lawsuit.
The lawsuit, seeks at least $75,000 compensation and demands a jury trial. Peterson and Rogers were instrumental in the conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma in 1982. The conviction was later overturned on DNA evidence pursued by the Innocence Project, which Scheck heads, Dennis Fritz was wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit and spent 12 years in prison. Part of the lawsuit claims the defendants conspired to commit libel against the plaintiffs, generate publicity for self interest by placing them in a false light and intentionally inflicting emotional distress upon them.

So... Prosecutor with the help of Gary Rogers sent 2 innocent men, Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson to prison for 12 years. Both Innocent men freed by DNA evaluation of crime scene evidence. Innocent man, Dennis Fritz writes book about his experiences. Prosecutor and Gary Rogers sue the innocent man they wrongfully sent to prison and Prosecutor and Rogers sue for intentionally inflicting emotional distress upon them. Only in America Folks...

UPDATE SEPT 18th, 2008 Federal Judge Dismisses Libel Lawsuit Against John Grisham

UPDATE OCT. 2008

This story is just unbelievable. A libel lawsuit against Dennis Fritz, author of Journey Toward Justice and author, John Grisham headed to court of appeals

Read more Here

Dennis Fritz Responds To Lawsuit Author of Journey Toward Justice

“The problem is that Mr. Peterson convicted two innocent men, sent Ronnie and I to the penitentiary for 12 years, based upon alleged evidence that did not go beyond a reasonable doubt.”Fritz said the lawsuit is merely a power play by Peterson “to regain what he has lost because of his actions, or mis-actions.”“He cannot handle the truth that’s been brought out in both Mr. Grisham’s book as well as mine. Dennis Fritz said every word in his book is true as he remembered the events of that time.
“Factually, it’s backed up exactly by every word out of the transcript,” he said.
Fritz said that Peterson achieved their convictions through “several huge mistakes, worse than mistakes, travesties of justice.”
“He doesn’t want to face the truth, really, of what happened,” he said. “He wants to try to make everybody believe that, in fact, he has not done anything wrong.”
I just want to say every word, every part of my book, is 100 percent factual." Fritz said from his home.
District Attorney Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers, a former agent for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, have named Grisham, Fritz and several others in a lawsuit.
The two men, Peterson and Rogers were involved in the arrest and prosecution and wrongful conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz, in the murder of cocktail waitress Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Okla. Williamson and Fritz were freed after 12 years in prison, exonerated by DNA evidence.
Grisham's, "The Innocent Man" and Fritz's ,"Journey Toward Justice" chronicled the history of the case and the experiences of the two men.
A movie based on Grisham's book focusing on Ron Williamson's life reportedly is in the works with George Clooney producing it.
Gary Richardson the attorney for Peterson is quoted in Tulsa World News as saying "Hopefully, they'll make more money so we'll have more to go after them on." he said laughing.

John Grisham and The Innocent Man Dennis Fritz Journey Toward Justice Lawsuit - Fritz is The Other Innocent Man in Grisham's Book The Innocent Man

Friday, September 28, 2007 12:43 PM CDT
TULSA, Okla. - Legal thriller writer John Grisham, an Arkansas native, has been named in a libel lawsuit filed over a nonfiction book he wrote about the 1982 murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada.
The lawsuit, filed Friday morning U.S. District Court, also names several other defendants and seeks relief of more than $75,000.

The two men originally convicted of Carter's murder, Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz, were later exonerated by DNA evidence and freed after 12 years in prison.

Their experiences are chronicled in two books, John Grisham's first nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man," and Fritz's "Journey Toward Justice."

Fritz is among those named as a defendant.

The plaintiffs are Pontotoc County District Attorney Bill Peterson, based in Ada, and Gary Rogers, a former agent for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

A service of the Associated Press(AP)
The Pontotoc County District Attorney Bill Peterson is the prosecutor who sent Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson, 2 innocent men to prison for 12 years with no evidence against them. The real killer was the prosecution's key witness.
I will leave my comments to myself. But,Please add your comments to my blog. Barbara's Journey Toward Justice HERE

Tommy Ward The Confession and Comments From Family

Today I received another comment on my blog, Barbara's Journey Toward Justice, from a family member of Tommy Ward.
Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot were convicted of murdering Denice Haraway. Haraway, 24, worked part-time at McAnally’s convenience store in Ada, Oklahoma, USA.
John Grisham describes how they finally cracked the case:
After two hours of non-stop hammering, Tommy finally cracked. The pressure came from fear – Smith and Rogers (the police detectives) were angry and seemed perfectly able and willing to slap him around if not outright shoot him – but also from the horror of wasting away on death row before finally getting executed. And it was obvious to Tommy that he would not be allowed to leave until he gave the cops something. After five hours in the room, he was exhausted, confused, and almost paralyzed with fear. He made a mistake, one that would send him to death row and eventually cost him his freedom for life.

Tommy decided to play along… more..
Tommy was brain-dead and barely able to mumble. He tried to recite their tale, but kept getting the facts mixed up. Smith and Rogers would stop him, repeat their fiction, and make him start over. Finally, after four rehearsals with little improvement and their star fading fast, the cops decided to turn on the camera. “Do it now”, they said to Tommy. "Do it right, and none of that dream bullshit."

“But the story ain’t true”, Tommy said. “Just tell it anyway, the cops insisted, then we’ll help you prove it’s not true. And none of that dream bullshit.”…

At 6:58 p.m. Tommy Ward looked at the camera and stated his name. He had been interrogated for eight and a half hours, and he was physically and emotionally wasted… He told his tale. He, Karl Fontenot, and Odell Titsworth kidnapped Denice Haraway from the store, drove out to the power plant on the west side of town, raped her, killed her… Thirty-one minutes later the video was turned off.. END

The “confession” Tommy Ward made to the police wasn’t quite a confession, since the crime as he described it took place in a dream, rather than in real life. The policemen were unable to find the body where Tommy described it in his dream. Smith and Rogers used similar methods to get a confession out of Karl Fontenot.Tommy and Karl have been incarcerated about 22 years.
Tommy is serving a life sentence. Karl's sentence: life without parole.
As they serve another man's sentence, the real killer walks free.
Please read the heartbreaking comments his family made on my blog, Barbara's Journey Toward Justice
Here is one of them:

I am one of Tommy Ward's first cousins. My cousin... I am one of Tommy Ward's first cousins. My cousin Joice is a strong woman and very vocal, she is not afraid to tell it like it is. Tommy's case had really put a rift between some of our relatives. My family and Tommy's have always stood our ground and stood beside Tommy, in believing that Tommy is innocent. Tommy was really close to my Mom and Dad. What Joice told you is true. We want our families to be healed from this anguish and hell we have been going through for the past 22 years. My cousin was unable to have adequate council in the very beginning, because my aunt and uncle could not afford it. Our families didn't have much money, but what we lacked in money, we have in our faith. My hat off to Mr. Fritz too. Thank you for helping tell the world of this injustice.

MSNBC Video Watch Full Episode Online The Accused

Hoda Kotb interviews bestselling author John Grisham about the murder case that resulted in the wrongful conviction of two men in Ada, Oklahoma, and why his first work of nonfiction, The Innocent Man, has generated controversy in law enforcement circles.
Watch the full episode online
1: Real-life Grisham tale
2: Exonerated men
3: Injustice deja vu?
4: Unreliable witness?
5:The D.A. fires back
6: The other court -- public opinion
Seven Locks Press
'Journey Toward Justice'
Read the book Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz The other innocent man in John Grisham's book 'The Innocent Man' and featured on the show "The Accused".

John Grisham On The Duke Lacrosse Rape Case Book Until Proven Innocent

A new book about the Duke lacrosse case has made its way on book shelves.
Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case (Hardcover) by Stuart Taylor (Author) and KC Johnson (Author), a history professor at the City University of New York's Brooklyn College. Johnson, also runs a blog about the case called Durham-in-Wonderland

The following is from author John Grisham about the book, Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case:
Praise for Until Proven Innocent “Brutally honest, unflinching, exhaustively researched, and compulsively readable, Until Proven Innocent excoriates those who led the stampede—the prosecutor, the cops, the media—but it also exposes the cowardice of Duke’s administration and faculty. Until Proven Innocent smothers any lingering doubts that in this country the presumption of innocence is dead, dead, dead.”

World Day Against The Death Penalty Oct.10

October 10th is to be observed as the ‘World Day against the Death Penalty’. UN members will vote on a While 130 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, 69 countries retain and use the death penalty. But, the number of countries which actually executes prisoners in any one year is much smaller. Since 1990, more than 50 countries have abolished capital punishment for all crimes.

Human rights organizations like Amnesty International express their unconditional opposition to death penalty as a violation of the right to life and the right to be not subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In fact, the death penalty has never been shown to be a more effective deterrent than other, more humane forms of punishment.
The World Coalition against the Death Penalty (WCADP), of which organizations like Amnesty International are members, is organizing a day of local action around the world on October 10, celebrated as the World Day against the Death Penalty.
Read more here

Duke Law School New Wrongful Convictions Clinic and Innocence Project

Duke University will invest $1.25 million over the next five years for its law school to establish a center devoted to the promotion of justice in the criminal justice system and the training of lawyers to fight against wrongful convictions, President Richard H. Brodhead announced Wednesday.

Duke to Establish Justice Center
AP via SFGate ^ 9/19/7
Durham, N.C. (AP) -- In the wake of the now-debunked rape case against three lacrosse players, Duke University will establish a center devoted to justice and training lawyers to fight wrongful convictions, president Richard Brodhead said Wednesday.

Duke will invest $1.25 million over the next five years for the project at the law school, which will also expand its Wrongful Convictions Clinic and Innocence Project. The clinic and the Innocence Project investigate claims of innocence by the state's convicted felons and raise awareness of problems in the criminal justice system.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com


More From Campus News
Addressing problems in the North Carolina legal system highlighted by the Duke lacrosse case, the center will incorporate and expand the law school’s Wrongful Convictions Clinic and Innocence Project, which investigate credible claims of innocence made by convicted felons in North Carolina and work to raise public awareness of systemic problems in the criminal justice system that lead to wrongful convictions.

“The lacrosse case attracted a lot of publicity, but is not the only case in which innocent people have suffered harm through the state’s legal system,” said Duke Law Professor James Coleman, who led a university committee that examined the lacrosse team’s behavior apart from the case and later was prominent in criticizing the actions of former Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong.

Coleman and Associate Dean Theresa Newman, who co-teach the Wrongful Convictions Clinic and serve as faculty advisors to the law school’s student-led Innocence Project, are expected to play key roles in the development of the new center. They are leaders in law reform efforts surrounding the issue and serve on the North Carolina Chief Justice’s Criminal Justice Study Commission (formerly named the North Carolina Actual Innocence Commission).
excerpt from Duke University News

New Jerseyans Favor Life Without Parole Over The Death Penalty

I like to post some good news stories from each state and from around the world. Here is a news release from the state of New Jersey.
New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

The goal of New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NJADP) is to win public and political support for the elimination of execution as a form of punishment in New Jersey. It is our conviction that the death penalty is by its nature unjust in application and immoral in principle.
Quinnipiac Poll Finds Majority of New Jerseyans Favor Life Without Parole Over The Death Penalty
Public Support continues to Trend Away from Executions

TRENTON – A Quinnipiac University poll released today shows that New Jerseyans prefer - by a 10-point margin - the punishment of life in prison without parole over the death penalty.

By a 51 to 41 % margin, the poll found that New Jerseyans believe that life in prison without parole is the more appropriate punishment for murder.

"This poll demonstrates that a majority of New Jerseyans agree with the conclusion of the distinguished Death Penalty Study Commission, which is that the death penalty in our state is a failed experiment in every respect and should be replaced with the tough punishment of life in prison without parole," said Celeste Fitzgerald, program director of New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

The poll results reflect a continued trend away from the death penalty, with an additional 6% of voters choosing life without parole over the death penalty from the last poll conducted by Quinnipiac University in 2003.

This trend away from capital punishment is also seen nationally. Last year for the first time, the national Gallup poll reported that Americans now prefer life without parole over the death penalty. According to the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington DC, in 2006, death sentences in the U.S. dropped to their lowest annual level in 30 years

NJADP has campaigned since 1999 for an end to the death penalty. It is the core group of more than 200 New Jersey organizations and 10,000 members representing a wide variety of groups and interests.

Actual Innocence

The Actual Innocence awareness database, provides a listing of United States resources to those interested in the area of wrongful convictions. Recently launched by the Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas School of Law.

I highly recommend this great new site for anyone contemplating a legal career, law students, attorneys and anyone else interested in the topic area of wrongful convictions in criminal law. It encompasses the categories of popular media (such as newspaper articles and segments which aired on television news magazines), journal articles, books, reports, legislation and websites.

The materials are classified into what are considered the primary causes of wrongful conviction: forensics/DNA; eyewitness identification; false confessions; jailhouse informants; police and/or prosecutorial misconduct; and ineffective representation.
Links for law review articles with text in PDF. The site is well organized by subtopics and RSS-enabled to allow users to receive automatic notices of updates.

I also highly recommend reading the book "Journey Toward Justice", author Dennis Fritz. I believe Dennis Fritz's book should be required reading for everyone involved in our justice system. Dennis Fritz is the other innocent man in John Grisham's book, "The Innocent Man.

Dennis Fritz tells his personal story of his unwarranted prosecution, and wrongful conviction in his book,"Journey Toward Justice". Dennis served 12 years for a murder he did not commit. A chilling illustration of how one prosecutor's reckless pursuit of justice shattered his life.

With the aid of Barry Scheck and The Innocence Project, devoted to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, Dennis Fritz was exonerated. The real killer, turned out to be one of the prosecution's key witness.

Celebrities and People of Notoriety Opposed to the Death Penalty Photos

Celebrities and People of Notoriety Opposed to the Death Penalty. An original art project by Scott Langley, inspired by Robert Rosenheck's "LOVE" project.
This photo project is designed to develop a collection of photographs depicting outspoken celebrities and other people of notoriety who oppose the death penalty, by tying them all together by holding the same "I Oppose the Death Penalty!" sign. A kind of "visual petition," if you will.
Musicians, actors, actresses, authors, politicians and others have a history of using their public positions to speak out on a variety of issues - including the death penalty. This is an ongoing project and will be developed over time. Click Here to view the photos.

Artist's Biography:
Scott Langley is a free-lance photojournalist based in Boston. From 1996-2000, Scott was a Texas press photographer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. His documentary work has been widespread throughout the world in recent years - appearing in newspapers, magazines, books, encyclopedias, theater productions, calendars, films, on television, t-shirts and even in a European music video. In addition to work as a photographer, Scott has been an active grassroots organizer against the death penalty since 1999.

In 2004, he and his wife co-founded the Raleigh Catholic Worker Hospitality House where families of North Carolina death row prisoners may find free shelter, food and support. Since 2004 Scott has served as an Amnesty International USA State Death Penalty Coordinator, first in North Carolina and now in Massachusetts. He now works on an international level to end executions and to educate people about the death penalty, traveling within and outside the U.S. to speak about capital punishment, his work against executions, his work with death row families, and about his photography documentary project.

More about Scott Langley

The Ku Klux Klan rallying in support of a black man’s execution in Texas. The North Carolina death row warden wheeling a gurney into the execution chamber. Weeping family members at the moment of a loved one’s execution. These are just a few of the images captured in Scott Langley’s chilling death penalty documentary photography project, which is the most comprehensive collection of original death penalty photographs on the internet.

The documentary includes execution vigils, inside an execution chamber, the hours leading up to an execution, portraits of exonerated death row prisoners, celebrities opposed to the death penalty, marches, demonstrations and candid emotional and prayerful moments.
The Death Penalty Photography Documentary Project is an eight-year product of exploring capital punishment through the photographer's lens. It was birthed from a college art project to creatively address a human rights issue, and started with a few photos from an execution vigil in Huntsville, Texas.

The original project has since grown into an internationally shown exhibit consisting of over 800 images - making it the largest, most varied known collection of photos about the death penalty in the United States' modern era.
This work-in-progress highlights Scott Langley's efforts as a photojournalist and a human rights activist - bringing together the unique combination of art, journalism and education into one powerful project. The exhibit has been exhibited by Amnesty International in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Raleigh, Germany, Denmark, at Harvard and Cornell Universities, and in print and video media across the world

From
Images of the Death Penalty Photographs by Scott Langley website.
Scott Langley's Death Penalty Documentary Photography Project