Where the Ada Detectives' Smith and Rogers last chance, fully heated interrogation, began in the Kansas City Police Department. Just following Dennis Fritz's arrest, 5 years after the murder of Debbie Sue Carter, detectives, utilizing their Mutt and Jeff tactics, attempting to gain their long sought after confession.
From pages 37,38,39
Smith sat silently, his uncomfortable eyes trained on mine.
Rogers suddenly turned from my direct line of vision and walked back across the room. He removed his Stetson hat and set it on top of his closed briefcase. Rolling up his shirt sleeves, as if to tell me it was time to get into the ring, he bluntly said, "We have filed the death penalty on you in a bill of particulars, and we are going to make it stick." Walking closer to me in a cat-like fashion, he persisted by saying, "Did you hear me, Dennis? We have filed the death penalty on you, and we definitely have enough good evidence on you to send you to lethal injection." Stepping nearer to me in breath-close range, he added in a higher-pitched tone, "It took me five whole years but we have got the goods on you, and our evidence is strong."
Finally, leaning even closer, he repeatedly jabbed his forefinger into my breastbone, over-emphasizing each and every word as his lips spat, "We are going to kill you for what you did, and there is nothing that you can do about it. We have a solid case of murder in the first degree against you, so get it off your chest, Fritz, and be the man we think you are. You need to realize that we have been working in this field for a long time now, and both of us understand how someone might get to drinking and let things get out of control. We know from other cases we've solved that murdering someone in the heat of the moment is a lot easier than someone might think. So get it off your chest, Fritz, and tell us how it really happened."
Without a flicker of apprehension, I blurted out, I didn't kill anyone, and I don't know anything about what you're talking about. If you want to try to kill me, then go ahead. I'm not scared of anything you can do to me because I am an innocent person!"
The veins in Roger's neck protruded as he roared, "Fritz, we haven't got time for these games and your lies. Make it easy on yourself and confess, right now!"
"Yes!" I shrieked. "Yes, I will confess at this time."
Smith bolted from his chair and left the room. There was silence. If a pin had dropped, it would have sounded like a sledgehammer hitting the floor. Rogers waited for Smith to return.
When he came back, he carried a small tape recorder in his porky hands. He hastily set the recorder on the table, plugged it in, and switched it on. His sudden movements were in contrast to his earlier placid performance.
Now it was his turn in the ring as he instructed me: "Dennis, this won't take long, and we can get this all cleared up here in a few minutes. As you have surely guessed, we are here to help you out,and your honesty in the form of a confession will keep you off of death row. Now Dennis, tell us exactly how it happened."
I looked at the recorder with its wheels spinning silently and then candidly exclaimed to the detectives, "Okay, I'm going to give you my confession. It's the whole truth in every way and I am not going to leave anything out. Here it is: I am an innocent man and have never in my life killed anyone, and furthermore, I am not going to confess to a murder that I didn't do or know nothing about. What do you guys take me for - a complete imbecile?"
Both detectives' faces flushed red. Rogers angrily wrenched his body around and stomped across the room. He snatched up his Stetson, put it on his head, and said with great resentment, "Fritz, we are tired of fooling around with you. You are not funny. If you want to die on the lethal injection table, that is your decision." Turning towards Smith, Rogers remarked with disgust, "If you would like to talk to him any further, then you can stay. I am going back to the hotel and get comfortable while Fritz suffers with these lies.
"Okay, Gary. I'll meet you back at the room in an hour."
Rogers stormed out.
After several minutes, Smith spoke. "Dennis, we don't really believe that you murdered Debbie Carter."
Because his glare seemed to invite a response, I challenged him by asking, "If you guys don't think I committed the murder, then why have I been charged?"
Smith scooted his chair slightly closer to me as he whispered,
"We don't think you were the aggressor in this. We strongly believe that Williamson did the actual killing and was the more aggressive one in the rape and murder. We believe that you were there and Williamson
put you in a position to participate in the rape but not the murder.
Fritz, I can help you out if you talk to me. As a matter of fact, both Gary and I don't think that you're the kind of guy that would be capable of outright murder. On the other hand , we know that Williamson is. We believe you were there and that is just as bad as
you committing the murder yourself. Dennis, we dug up Debbie Carter's body body and what we found proves that you were there and participated in the murder."
"Smith, I've heard enough of your bullshit. I've told you both over and over that I didn't commit no murder, so take me to my cell.
I'm not going to put up with your crazy insinuations no more. I am ready to go!.
"Have it your way, Fritz, I really hate to see you fall for a capital murder that you did not fully commit. Will you talk to me tomorrow before we leave?"
Excerpted from Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz Copyright © 2006 by Seven Locks Press. Excerpted by permission of Seven Locks Press All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tommy Ward Innocent A Message From His Sister
Tommy Ward's sister Joice sent me an email along with a comment on my blog, "Barbara's Journey Toward Justice". The email she wrote to me was heartbreaking. She knows her brother Tommy Ward is innocent and has the facts to prove it.
Never mind that the police had no real evidence against him, no motive, no prior knowledge of the victim, no crime scene clues, such as fingerprints, blood, semen, hair, saliva, footprints and there was no crime scene. And in spite of the fact that Tommy Ward's dream of the killing has been proven false - and proven false again and again in multiple ways.
I guess that means nothing to the court of law and Ada, Oklahoma police. And for the interrogators from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Joice does read my blog, please post any comments or your thoughts to her here. Joice may God Bless you and your family and with His help your brother Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot will be set free.
Here is the story of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot for people not familiar with the murder case.
From Ward and Fontenot Website
They were literally dreamed onto death row.
And in spite of the fact that the dream has been proven false - and proven false again and again in multiple ways - Karl Fontenot and Tommy Ward remain in prison. Tommy Ward, for hours, told police he didn't kill Denice Haraway.
He told them, however, that he had a dream about her.
That was good enough for the Ada, Oklahoma police. And for the interrogators from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
It took them nine hours of questioning in a locked room for officers to extract the confession from Tommy.
Karl, an impressionable street kid with no family and few friends, was easier to break. After only two hours the police had another confession, one suspiciously similar to Tommy's.
Problem was that the confessions shared some of the same wrong information.
A major mistake was that both identified Odell Titsworth, a man who could not possibly have committed the acts, as the primary culprit in the abduction, rape and killing of Ms. Haraway.
The police questioned Titsworth, realized he couldn't have done it, and let him go.
Never mind that the police had no real evidence against Tommy and Karl, they remained in jail.
There was no motive, no prior knowledge of the victim, no crime scene clues, such as fingerprints, blood, semen, hair, saliva, footprints.
There was no crime scene. At the counter where Ms. Haraway had apparently talked to her abductor, the cigarette in the ashtray was thrown away and the counter was wiped clean.
The site of the killing?
At the time of the trial, there was no site of the killing. There was no body. Ms. Haraway had simply vanished.
At the first trial, not a shred of physical evidence was presented. Yet, both Tommy and Karl were sent to death row.
Four months after the trial, the confessions were proved erroneous in additional ways.
The body was found.
Tommy's dream, the primary evidence against him, had placed the body at the west edge of Ada. The actual body was found in a remote area twenty-five miles east of town.
The prosecution had told the jury, based on the dreams, that Tommy and Karl had killed the young woman with a knife and then burned the body.
It turned out that she had not been stabbed. She was, however, shot once in the head. That head wound had been described by neither Tommy nor Karl.
Karl and Tommy were given new trials.
But they were both again convicted.
They 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.
Never mind that the police had no real evidence against him, no motive, no prior knowledge of the victim, no crime scene clues, such as fingerprints, blood, semen, hair, saliva, footprints and there was no crime scene. And in spite of the fact that Tommy Ward's dream of the killing has been proven false - and proven false again and again in multiple ways.
I guess that means nothing to the court of law and Ada, Oklahoma police. And for the interrogators from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Joice does read my blog, please post any comments or your thoughts to her here. Joice may God Bless you and your family and with His help your brother Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot will be set free.
Here is the story of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot for people not familiar with the murder case.
From Ward and Fontenot Website
They were literally dreamed onto death row.
And in spite of the fact that the dream has been proven false - and proven false again and again in multiple ways - Karl Fontenot and Tommy Ward remain in prison. Tommy Ward, for hours, told police he didn't kill Denice Haraway.
He told them, however, that he had a dream about her.
That was good enough for the Ada, Oklahoma police. And for the interrogators from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
It took them nine hours of questioning in a locked room for officers to extract the confession from Tommy.
Karl, an impressionable street kid with no family and few friends, was easier to break. After only two hours the police had another confession, one suspiciously similar to Tommy's.
Problem was that the confessions shared some of the same wrong information.
A major mistake was that both identified Odell Titsworth, a man who could not possibly have committed the acts, as the primary culprit in the abduction, rape and killing of Ms. Haraway.
The police questioned Titsworth, realized he couldn't have done it, and let him go.
Never mind that the police had no real evidence against Tommy and Karl, they remained in jail.
There was no motive, no prior knowledge of the victim, no crime scene clues, such as fingerprints, blood, semen, hair, saliva, footprints.
There was no crime scene. At the counter where Ms. Haraway had apparently talked to her abductor, the cigarette in the ashtray was thrown away and the counter was wiped clean.
The site of the killing?
At the time of the trial, there was no site of the killing. There was no body. Ms. Haraway had simply vanished.
At the first trial, not a shred of physical evidence was presented. Yet, both Tommy and Karl were sent to death row.
Four months after the trial, the confessions were proved erroneous in additional ways.
The body was found.
Tommy's dream, the primary evidence against him, had placed the body at the west edge of Ada. The actual body was found in a remote area twenty-five miles east of town.
The prosecution had told the jury, based on the dreams, that Tommy and Karl had killed the young woman with a knife and then burned the body.
It turned out that she had not been stabbed. She was, however, shot once in the head. That head wound had been described by neither Tommy nor Karl.
Karl and Tommy were given new trials.
But they were both again convicted.
They 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.
Dennis Fritz's Book Journey Toward Justice Now Available From The Roundhouse Group North Devon UK
Dennis Fritz's Book, "Journey Toward Justice" is now available from The Roundhouse Group
North Devon UK
Alan Goodworth
Phone 01237-474-474
I have been getting email from libraries and bookstores from the UK asking where they can acquire copies of Dennis Fritz's Book, "Journey Toward Justice". The ISBN is 1931643954.
For all other countries, if you find it hard to get copies of Dennis Fritz's book, please contact the publisher.
James C. Riordan
Publisher Seven Locks Press
3100 W. Warner Ave. #8
Santa Ana, CA 92704
Phone 714-545-2526 or 800-354-5348
Website: sevenlockspublishing.com
North Devon UK
Alan Goodworth
Phone 01237-474-474
I have been getting email from libraries and bookstores from the UK asking where they can acquire copies of Dennis Fritz's Book, "Journey Toward Justice". The ISBN is 1931643954.
For all other countries, if you find it hard to get copies of Dennis Fritz's book, please contact the publisher.
James C. Riordan
Publisher Seven Locks Press
3100 W. Warner Ave. #8
Santa Ana, CA 92704
Phone 714-545-2526 or 800-354-5348
Website: sevenlockspublishing.com
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Ron Williamson 's Words " I Hope I Neither Go To Heaven or Hell"
Here are Ron Williamson's words after he was exonerated and released April 1999.
"I hope I go to neither heaven nor hell. I wish that at the time of my death that I could go to sleep and never wake up and never have a bad dream. Eternal rest, like you've seen on some tombstones, that's what I hope for. Because I don't want to go through the Judgment. I don't want anybody judging me again. ... I asked myself what was the reason for my birth when I was on death row, if I was going to have to go through all that. What was even the reason for my birth? I almost cursed my mother and dad -- it was so bad -- for putting me on this earth. If I had it all to do over again, I wouldn't be born."
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz
Both Served: 11 years
Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz were exonerated and released in April 1999. Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz were convicted in 1988 of the murder of Debra Sue Carter in Oklahoma. Her body had been found six years earlier.
Fritz was sentenced to life in prison.
Williamson -- whose story is the focus of John Grisham's "The Innocent Man" -- was sent to death row.
The 21 year-old victim was found raped and murdered in her apartment after returning from her waitress's job. Fritz and Williamson were known to frequent the establishment where the victim worked.
The prosecution presented evidence that the victim had previously complained to a friend that they "made her nervous." Williamson had been seen at the restaurant the night of the murder without Fritz. DNA testing revealed that neither Fritz nor Williamson deposited the sperm found in the victim.
Further testing proved that none of the many hairs that were labeled "matches" belonged to them.
The profile obtained from the semen evidence matched Glenn Gore, one of the state's witnesses at trial, who was later arrested.
Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz were exonerated and released in April 1999. Williamson had, at one point, come within five days of execution. The two had been wrongfully incarcerated for eleven years.
Taken from The Innocence Project
You can read about the case in 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
"I hope I go to neither heaven nor hell. I wish that at the time of my death that I could go to sleep and never wake up and never have a bad dream. Eternal rest, like you've seen on some tombstones, that's what I hope for. Because I don't want to go through the Judgment. I don't want anybody judging me again. ... I asked myself what was the reason for my birth when I was on death row, if I was going to have to go through all that. What was even the reason for my birth? I almost cursed my mother and dad -- it was so bad -- for putting me on this earth. If I had it all to do over again, I wouldn't be born."
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz
Both Served: 11 years
Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz were exonerated and released in April 1999. Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz were convicted in 1988 of the murder of Debra Sue Carter in Oklahoma. Her body had been found six years earlier.
Fritz was sentenced to life in prison.
Williamson -- whose story is the focus of John Grisham's "The Innocent Man" -- was sent to death row.
The 21 year-old victim was found raped and murdered in her apartment after returning from her waitress's job. Fritz and Williamson were known to frequent the establishment where the victim worked.
The prosecution presented evidence that the victim had previously complained to a friend that they "made her nervous." Williamson had been seen at the restaurant the night of the murder without Fritz. DNA testing revealed that neither Fritz nor Williamson deposited the sperm found in the victim.
Further testing proved that none of the many hairs that were labeled "matches" belonged to them.
The profile obtained from the semen evidence matched Glenn Gore, one of the state's witnesses at trial, who was later arrested.
Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz were exonerated and released in April 1999. Williamson had, at one point, come within five days of execution. The two had been wrongfully incarcerated for eleven years.
Taken from The Innocence Project
You can read about the case in 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
Friday, August 17, 2007
Books To Prisoners
Please help keep "Book To Prisoners" going. Buy any book from Amazon.com and "Books To Prisoners" will earn a referral fee of 5%, which in turn helps them pay for postage to send books to prisoners. Below is a direct link to Amazon.com from "Books To Prisoners" website.
"Books To Prisoners" (BTP) is a Seattle-based, all-volunteer, non-profit group that sends free books to prisoners in the United States.
BTP believes that books are tools for learning and opening minds to new ideas and possibilities. By sending books to prisoners, they hope to foster a love of reading and encourage the pursuit of knowledge and self-improvement.
Founded in the early 1970s and sponsored by Left Banks Books, BTP receives 600 to 800 requests for books each month. Volunteers work two evenings a week opening letters, finding books in their collection that correspond to the request, and wrapping and mailing parcels. Because of continuing backlog of requests, prisoners sometimes wait up to six months to receive their books.
Prisoners request a variety of books. Most prisons accept paperback books only. The most popular requests are dictionaries, thesauruses, African American history and fiction, Native American studies, legal material, GED materials, and languages (particularly Spanish.) Other common requests include fiction, vocational-technical manuals, politics, anthropology, art and drawing, psychology, and health and fitness.
If you shop at Amazon, consider shopping through their search box on bottom of their website and 5% proceeds go directly to them. here.
Whether you are looking for books on prison issues or for the latest bestseller, any book you buy through "Books To Prisoners" website BTP will earn a referral fee of 5%, which in turn helps them pay for postage to send books to prisoners.
Please feel free to email me your books to prisoners blog or website from your community. See my contact information lower right on sidebar of my blog, for contact information. I will create a list and add to my blog if accepted. Let's all help get books to prisoners.
Publications
Prison Legal News An independent 36-page monthly publication that provides a cutting edge review and analysis of prisoner rights, court rulings, and news about prison issues, with a focus on both state and federal prison issues.
The Other Side of the Wall Prison writings, essays, literature, links. A comprehensive introduction to the world of incarceration.
Prison Art Newsletter A non-profit website created to give online outlet for the sale of crafts and artwork created by political prisoners.
A read an interesting post from booklistonline.com
A Book Blog by Keir Graff
Dated Aug.17 Under Likely Stories; called "Prison Libraries Might Be The Most Popular Libraries Of All" , interesting
"Books To Prisoners" (BTP) is a Seattle-based, all-volunteer, non-profit group that sends free books to prisoners in the United States.
BTP believes that books are tools for learning and opening minds to new ideas and possibilities. By sending books to prisoners, they hope to foster a love of reading and encourage the pursuit of knowledge and self-improvement.
Founded in the early 1970s and sponsored by Left Banks Books, BTP receives 600 to 800 requests for books each month. Volunteers work two evenings a week opening letters, finding books in their collection that correspond to the request, and wrapping and mailing parcels. Because of continuing backlog of requests, prisoners sometimes wait up to six months to receive their books.
Prisoners request a variety of books. Most prisons accept paperback books only. The most popular requests are dictionaries, thesauruses, African American history and fiction, Native American studies, legal material, GED materials, and languages (particularly Spanish.) Other common requests include fiction, vocational-technical manuals, politics, anthropology, art and drawing, psychology, and health and fitness.
If you shop at Amazon, consider shopping through their search box on bottom of their website and 5% proceeds go directly to them. here.
Whether you are looking for books on prison issues or for the latest bestseller, any book you buy through "Books To Prisoners" website BTP will earn a referral fee of 5%, which in turn helps them pay for postage to send books to prisoners.
Please feel free to email me your books to prisoners blog or website from your community. See my contact information lower right on sidebar of my blog, for contact information. I will create a list and add to my blog if accepted. Let's all help get books to prisoners.
Publications
Prison Legal News An independent 36-page monthly publication that provides a cutting edge review and analysis of prisoner rights, court rulings, and news about prison issues, with a focus on both state and federal prison issues.
The Other Side of the Wall Prison writings, essays, literature, links. A comprehensive introduction to the world of incarceration.
Prison Art Newsletter A non-profit website created to give online outlet for the sale of crafts and artwork created by political prisoners.
A read an interesting post from booklistonline.com
A Book Blog by Keir Graff
Dated Aug.17 Under Likely Stories; called "Prison Libraries Might Be The Most Popular Libraries Of All" , interesting
Denise Brown's Radio Show and Blog
Yesterday I did a piece on O.J. Simpson and the Goldman's Book "It I Did It". Today I would like to share some news about Denise Brown, sister of Nicole Brown. Denise is starting a production for a talk show. She will be rolling around America talking to people with domestic violence issues and solutions.
Denise would like to hear from people on what they think good topics would be. Denise designated this space here to help her out.
From her blog called, Denise Brown’s Blog - Making A Difference One Day At A Time, there is a place where you can ask and get a response from her. She does add this:
I’ll answer almost anything that is presented with respect and sincerity. Go ahead ask me anything … but remember I have the power to delete your question before anyone else see’s it, so don’t waste your time or mine asking something you know won’t get a response.
I would like to mention also in my blog the Nicole Brown Foundation you can reach by clicking on here nicolebrown.org
May God Bless the Brown Family and may they find peace on their own "Journey Toward Justice"
Denise would like to hear from people on what they think good topics would be. Denise designated this space here to help her out.
From her blog called, Denise Brown’s Blog - Making A Difference One Day At A Time, there is a place where you can ask and get a response from her. She does add this:
I’ll answer almost anything that is presented with respect and sincerity. Go ahead ask me anything … but remember I have the power to delete your question before anyone else see’s it, so don’t waste your time or mine asking something you know won’t get a response.
I would like to mention also in my blog the Nicole Brown Foundation you can reach by clicking on here nicolebrown.org
May God Bless the Brown Family and may they find peace on their own "Journey Toward Justice"
Thursday, August 16, 2007
If I Did It O.J. Simpson
My blog, Barbara's Journey Toward Justice has many stories and links dealing with wrongful convictions and the death penalty. But once in awhile I come across some news stories I like to share. "A guilty conscience needs to confess. A work of art is a confession" - Albert Camus. So what do you think ? Is O.J.'s book, excuse me the Goldman's Family book "If I Did It", his confession?
Below are some news items I thought were interesting about O.J. Simpson and the book "If I Did It"
First:
July 30th a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the rights of O.J. Simpson’s canceled "If I Did It" book to the family of the late Ronald Goldman to satisfy a $38 million wrongful death judgment against the former football star. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge A. Jay Cristol’s decision pushed aside complaints from the family of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, who was slain along with her friend Goldman in a 1994 knife attack
Wed Aug 1, 2007
O.J says ghost author wrote flawed murder account
By Steve Gorman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - O.J. Simpson says his hypothetical account of killing his ex-wife in his aborted memoir "If I Did It" was invented by a ghost writer and filled with errors that he refused to correct for fear of appearing to be guilty of the crime.
More on this story here
From The Book Standard
Aug.06,2007
O.J. Simpson's Ghostwriter Fires Back August 06, 2007
By Kimberly Maul The ghostwriter for O.J. Simpson's If I Did It is fighting back after Simpson criticized him in an online interview. Pablo Fenjves, a Hollywood screenwriter, refuted Simpson's claims that the former football star was a passive and reluctant participant in the book, Reuters reported. "O.J. read the book, his book, several times. I made every change he asked for, and he signed off on it," Fenjves told Reuters last week. "The whole book, the whole idea for a book, originated with O.J. Simpson and a couple of his handlers." You can read more here_
Beaufort to Publish O.J. Simpson Book; Goldman Family to Profit
By Edward Nawotka
Aug. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Beaufort Books said late yesterday that it will publish O.J. Simpson's ``If I Did It'' after acquiring the rights to the controversial title.
The book is a supposedly hypothetical account of how Simpson, a former football star, might have murdered his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald L. Goldman in 1994. It was originally backed by editor Judith Regan and scheduled for publication last November by News Corp.'s Harper Collins.
Following a public outcry, publication was canceled, the printed books were destroyed, Regan was fired and her Regan Books imprint was dropped by Harper Collins.
Beaufort, a small independent publisher in New York, said it expects the book to reach stores by Oct. 3. In the past, it has often operated as a ``vanity'' press, with the author and publisher splitting costs as well as any profit.
Beaufort spokesman Michael Wright said the company had reached a traditional publishing agreement and costs would not be shared. He wouldn't disclose whether or how much money was paid to the Goldmans for the rights.
More here
Below are some news items I thought were interesting about O.J. Simpson and the book "If I Did It"
First:
July 30th a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the rights of O.J. Simpson’s canceled "If I Did It" book to the family of the late Ronald Goldman to satisfy a $38 million wrongful death judgment against the former football star. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge A. Jay Cristol’s decision pushed aside complaints from the family of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, who was slain along with her friend Goldman in a 1994 knife attack
Wed Aug 1, 2007
O.J says ghost author wrote flawed murder account
By Steve Gorman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - O.J. Simpson says his hypothetical account of killing his ex-wife in his aborted memoir "If I Did It" was invented by a ghost writer and filled with errors that he refused to correct for fear of appearing to be guilty of the crime.
More on this story here
From The Book Standard
Aug.06,2007
O.J. Simpson's Ghostwriter Fires Back August 06, 2007
By Kimberly Maul The ghostwriter for O.J. Simpson's If I Did It is fighting back after Simpson criticized him in an online interview. Pablo Fenjves, a Hollywood screenwriter, refuted Simpson's claims that the former football star was a passive and reluctant participant in the book, Reuters reported. "O.J. read the book, his book, several times. I made every change he asked for, and he signed off on it," Fenjves told Reuters last week. "The whole book, the whole idea for a book, originated with O.J. Simpson and a couple of his handlers." You can read more here_
Beaufort to Publish O.J. Simpson Book; Goldman Family to Profit
By Edward Nawotka
Aug. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Beaufort Books said late yesterday that it will publish O.J. Simpson's ``If I Did It'' after acquiring the rights to the controversial title.
The book is a supposedly hypothetical account of how Simpson, a former football star, might have murdered his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald L. Goldman in 1994. It was originally backed by editor Judith Regan and scheduled for publication last November by News Corp.'s Harper Collins.
Following a public outcry, publication was canceled, the printed books were destroyed, Regan was fired and her Regan Books imprint was dropped by Harper Collins.
Beaufort, a small independent publisher in New York, said it expects the book to reach stores by Oct. 3. In the past, it has often operated as a ``vanity'' press, with the author and publisher splitting costs as well as any profit.
Beaufort spokesman Michael Wright said the company had reached a traditional publishing agreement and costs would not be shared. He wouldn't disclose whether or how much money was paid to the Goldmans for the rights.
More here
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Mike Nifong My Good News Story I Am Sure More To Come
News anchors always wish us a Good Evening and the end of their news broadcast. With the stories of, murders, terrorist attacks and war, it is no wonder millions of people have a hard time falling asleep, much less then a Good Evening. There are a lot of sleep aid commericals, but with the list of side affect I rather count sheep...... Last week was different the news was good. I am talking about Mike Nifong and the Lacrosse members case. Mike Nifong DISBARRED. I read most main stream news, but I came across a post from a blogger I like to share.
Author William Newmiller.
This is his Blog Heading:
Bearing False Witness
Wrongful convictions: researchers estimate 130,000 to 260,000 American inmates did not commit the crime they've been convicted of. My son is one of them, convicted of murder despite exculpatory evidence. This blog is dedicated to exonerating him and others by raising our national awareness of wrongful convictions..
Here is the post:
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Will Mike Nifong Pay the Piper?
Disgraced and now disbarred, Mike Nifong, the nefarious prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse case, may (and should) face further sanctions. USA Today reports he may face a criminal investigation. About time. The real scandal, though is how many prosecutors never face consequences for violating the public trust. Bill Peterson, the Ada, Oklahoma, district attorney exposed in John Grisham's book Innocent Man, continues to practice law as the District Attorney in Ada, even though he admits to his role in sentencing an innocent man to death. On his web site, Peterson says, "I cannot change the reality that two men were convicted of a crime they did not commit." He neglects to say that had he exercised a bit of diligence and common sense while representing the people of Oklahoma, he could have prevented the wrongful conviction in the first place. The cavalier arrogance of prosecutors more concerned with the appearance of justice rather than the pursuit of justice is, simply, against the law. Prosecutors, as representatives of the people, are charged with seeking truth and justice rather than simply convictions. When their ethical compass becomes obscured by ambition, a polictical agenda, or just mean-spiritedness, they need to face consequences. They need to pay the piper.
Author William Newmiller.
This is his Blog Heading:
Bearing False Witness
Wrongful convictions: researchers estimate 130,000 to 260,000 American inmates did not commit the crime they've been convicted of. My son is one of them, convicted of murder despite exculpatory evidence. This blog is dedicated to exonerating him and others by raising our national awareness of wrongful convictions..
Here is the post:
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Will Mike Nifong Pay the Piper?
Disgraced and now disbarred, Mike Nifong, the nefarious prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse case, may (and should) face further sanctions. USA Today reports he may face a criminal investigation. About time. The real scandal, though is how many prosecutors never face consequences for violating the public trust. Bill Peterson, the Ada, Oklahoma, district attorney exposed in John Grisham's book Innocent Man, continues to practice law as the District Attorney in Ada, even though he admits to his role in sentencing an innocent man to death. On his web site, Peterson says, "I cannot change the reality that two men were convicted of a crime they did not commit." He neglects to say that had he exercised a bit of diligence and common sense while representing the people of Oklahoma, he could have prevented the wrongful conviction in the first place. The cavalier arrogance of prosecutors more concerned with the appearance of justice rather than the pursuit of justice is, simply, against the law. Prosecutors, as representatives of the people, are charged with seeking truth and justice rather than simply convictions. When their ethical compass becomes obscured by ambition, a polictical agenda, or just mean-spiritedness, they need to face consequences. They need to pay the piper.
I also thought this was great to share.
From Charlotte Observer Aug.3
By David Ingram and Mark Johnson
Remove judges or DAs: It might be called the "Mike Nifong Act" after the disgraced Durham district attorney, because this legislation provides for removing judges or district attorneys who are stripped of their law license.
Author Dennis Fritz Speaks at Academy of Legal Studies in Business ALSB International Conference
Author of "Journey Toward Justice", Dennis Fritz will be guest speaker at Academy of Legal Studies in Business ALSB International Conference in Indianapolis,Sunday morning, August 12, at the Ethics Section
Dennis Fritz, is one of the two individuals chronicled in John Grisham's, "The Innocent Man", Grisham's first non-fiction book about the travails of the legal system. Directly afterwards, he will be presenting at one of the academic sessions from 9:00-10:15.
After speaking at the ALSB conference academic session from 9:00-10:15 Sunday morning, August 12, Dennis will be available to sign copies of his book.
Contact Professor of Business Law
College of Business Administration
Butler University Indianapolis, Indiana about a conference webpage that will be up and running on their site around the first of the year.
You can read more about Dennis Fritz and his book "Journey Toward Justice" in which he details his arrest and subsequent imprisonment until his release April 15, 1999.
HERE
About The Academy of Legal Studies in Business
Founded in 1924, the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (International) is an association of teachers and scholars in the fields of business law, legal environment, and law-related courses outside of professional law schools. Our nearly 1,000 members teach primarily in schools of business in colleges and universities, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Members come from all fifty states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, England, and a number of other nations.
The Academy provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, and encourages support and cooperation among those who teach and conduct research in the field of legal studies. In addition, the ALSB works to foster understanding and cooperation between college and university administrators and our constituency.
Dennis Fritz, is one of the two individuals chronicled in John Grisham's, "The Innocent Man", Grisham's first non-fiction book about the travails of the legal system. Directly afterwards, he will be presenting at one of the academic sessions from 9:00-10:15.
After speaking at the ALSB conference academic session from 9:00-10:15 Sunday morning, August 12, Dennis will be available to sign copies of his book.
Contact Professor of Business Law
College of Business Administration
Butler University Indianapolis, Indiana about a conference webpage that will be up and running on their site around the first of the year.
You can read more about Dennis Fritz and his book "Journey Toward Justice" in which he details his arrest and subsequent imprisonment until his release April 15, 1999.
HERE
About The Academy of Legal Studies in Business
Founded in 1924, the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (International) is an association of teachers and scholars in the fields of business law, legal environment, and law-related courses outside of professional law schools. Our nearly 1,000 members teach primarily in schools of business in colleges and universities, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Members come from all fifty states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, England, and a number of other nations.
The Academy provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, and encourages support and cooperation among those who teach and conduct research in the field of legal studies. In addition, the ALSB works to foster understanding and cooperation between college and university administrators and our constituency.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Petition to Investigate Wrong Doing That Leads to the Wrongful Convictions
My blog"Barbara's Journey Toward Justice", does not give legal advice and is a nonprofit blog. I do not fill it up with money making ads, and make no profits from it of any kind. I also do not have an Amazon Wish List, which is a blogger's gift registry on Amazon. The purpose of my blog is to bring about awareness of issues in Dennis Fritz's book Journey Toward Justice
I do have a "Barbara's Journey Toward Justice Wish List", and the top of that list is, STOP WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS!
Fifty percent of letters I receive are for help with a petition of some kind. Out of those letters, seventy five percent are for wrongful convictions.
I am not a lawyer and cannot give any legal advice. However, I can help people who have a need for a petition.
You can add a petition of any kind on the internet. There is no charge to have a petition on line.
Below is a petition to Investigate Wrong Doing That Leads to the Wrongful Convictions. Petition to President, Attorney General, House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairmen was created by The Castle of Hope for Lost Souls/The Injustice System and written by Lee Gaylord.
I put a link on bottom to sign.
Please sign petition to fight the wrongful convictions and those who are responsible and send a letter to your Members of the house and senate.
Contact me, if you have a story or petition that you would like me and/or my readers to know about.
The Petition to Investigate Wrong Doing That Leads to the Wrongful Convictions Petition to President, Attorney General, House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairmen
To: President, Attorney General, House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairmen
I estimate that more than 10% (possibly 15%) of those in prison are innocent. Many are convicted because of incompetent council. Many are framed by the police and/or prosecutors. In many cases the judges and defense attorneys are involved in the wrongful convictions.
These percentages also carry though to death row prisoners and those who have been executed.
What do we want?
1. An investigation by the F.B.I. into all cases where there is a chance that evidence was tampered with, fabricated and\or concealed in order to convict the innocent person.
2. Investigation into cases where collusion between the police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and/or judges in order to convict a person who is or maybe innocent.
3. Legislation to make these cases (items 1 and 2) Federal Crimes with suggested sentences that will make the perpetrators of these crimes serve as much or more time in prison and those who they had wrongfully convicted.
4. Upon the presentation of evidence and determination that a wrongful conviction may have occurred and new trial will be carried out in the Federal courts if the case was originally on the state or a different Federal judge and prosecutor if it was a Federal case and those who were involved will be investigated and prosecuted.
5. The wrongfully convicted person shall be allowed to sue the parties involved, including the Government agency, for wrongful prosecution and for monetary damages to be determined by a jury, including attorney’s fees, loss of income and mental anguish.
6. Since the wrongfully convicted are mostly black and almost always poor the civil rights laws should apply. Civil rights are being denied to the blacks and/or the poor because they are black and/or poor. Their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are being denied.
These wrongful convictions are a not only a miscarriage of justice but also a disgrace to our American Justice System. There is a lot of money made from the corruption in our justice system and our prison system. A full scale investigation of the system is not only warranted but it is imperative to make the system truly a justice system instead of an injustice system.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
View Current Signatures
You can go
here to sign this one
The Petition to Investigate Wrong Doing That Leads to the Wrongful Convictions Petition to President, Attorney General, House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairmen was created by The Castle of Hope for Lost Souls/The Injustice System and written by Lee Gaylord. This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition
I do have a "Barbara's Journey Toward Justice Wish List", and the top of that list is, STOP WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS!
Fifty percent of letters I receive are for help with a petition of some kind. Out of those letters, seventy five percent are for wrongful convictions.
I am not a lawyer and cannot give any legal advice. However, I can help people who have a need for a petition.
You can add a petition of any kind on the internet. There is no charge to have a petition on line.
Below is a petition to Investigate Wrong Doing That Leads to the Wrongful Convictions. Petition to President, Attorney General, House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairmen was created by The Castle of Hope for Lost Souls/The Injustice System and written by Lee Gaylord.
I put a link on bottom to sign.
Please sign petition to fight the wrongful convictions and those who are responsible and send a letter to your Members of the house and senate.
Contact me, if you have a story or petition that you would like me and/or my readers to know about.
The Petition to Investigate Wrong Doing That Leads to the Wrongful Convictions Petition to President, Attorney General, House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairmen
To: President, Attorney General, House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairmen
I estimate that more than 10% (possibly 15%) of those in prison are innocent. Many are convicted because of incompetent council. Many are framed by the police and/or prosecutors. In many cases the judges and defense attorneys are involved in the wrongful convictions.
These percentages also carry though to death row prisoners and those who have been executed.
What do we want?
1. An investigation by the F.B.I. into all cases where there is a chance that evidence was tampered with, fabricated and\or concealed in order to convict the innocent person.
2. Investigation into cases where collusion between the police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and/or judges in order to convict a person who is or maybe innocent.
3. Legislation to make these cases (items 1 and 2) Federal Crimes with suggested sentences that will make the perpetrators of these crimes serve as much or more time in prison and those who they had wrongfully convicted.
4. Upon the presentation of evidence and determination that a wrongful conviction may have occurred and new trial will be carried out in the Federal courts if the case was originally on the state or a different Federal judge and prosecutor if it was a Federal case and those who were involved will be investigated and prosecuted.
5. The wrongfully convicted person shall be allowed to sue the parties involved, including the Government agency, for wrongful prosecution and for monetary damages to be determined by a jury, including attorney’s fees, loss of income and mental anguish.
6. Since the wrongfully convicted are mostly black and almost always poor the civil rights laws should apply. Civil rights are being denied to the blacks and/or the poor because they are black and/or poor. Their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are being denied.
These wrongful convictions are a not only a miscarriage of justice but also a disgrace to our American Justice System. There is a lot of money made from the corruption in our justice system and our prison system. A full scale investigation of the system is not only warranted but it is imperative to make the system truly a justice system instead of an injustice system.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
View Current Signatures
You can go
here to sign this one
The Petition to Investigate Wrong Doing That Leads to the Wrongful Convictions Petition to President, Attorney General, House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairmen was created by The Castle of Hope for Lost Souls/The Injustice System and written by Lee Gaylord. This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
In Memory of Harmon Wray A Tireless Crusader To End The Death Penalty
Harmon Wray died Tuesday, July 24, 2007 from complications of a massive stroke. Harmon was an organizing member of
TCASK Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing, and has been relentless in his work to end the death penalty in Tennessee.
Harmon was a champion for prison reform and upholding the dignity of those who are incarcerated. As a teacher and author, he educated countless numbers of people concerning the myriad problems with our current criminal justice system. As adjunct faculty of Vanderbilt Divinity School , Harmon created and coordinated a class at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, comprised of both Vanderbilt students and inmates. Harmon was also a founder of the Restorative Justice Coalition of Tennessee , seeking to transform the current criminal justice system from a system primarily focused on punishment to one which facilitates healing and restoration. Most recently, he authored Beyond Prisons: A New Interfaith Paradigm for our Failed Prison System.
Harmon was formerly with the Tennessee Conference Correctional Ministries staff of the Methodist Church and the General Board of Global Ministries. Harmon continued to be an active member of Edgehill United Methodist Church.
Harmon Wray followed the way of Jesus to the end, still giving of himself, even in death as an organ donor. He took Jesus' call to visit the prisoner to heart and spent his life as a fierce advocate for those who are incarcerated. I count him as a mentor and a friend, and today my heart is very heavy as I cannot imagine the world without him. Still, I know that Harmon's spirit will remain with us and will continue to inspire all of us as we struggle together to end the death penalty in Tennessee.
You can read more here
Stacy Rector
Executive Director
Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wray has written and published on criminal justice issues, religion and society in the South, and Christian faith and economic justice in a wide variety of periodicals, and has spoken, taught classes, and conducted workshops on such subjects in many settings.
He is the author of Restorative Justice: Moving Beyond Punishment (New York: General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church, 2002), and co-author with Laura Magnani of Beyond Prisons: A New Interfaith Paradigm for Our Failed Prison System, published by Fortress Press for the American Friends Service Committee in the spring of 2006.
Particular foci of his organizing, teaching, writing and speaking in criminal justice have been capital punishment, the privatization of prisons for profit, the growth of the prison industrial complex, racism in the criminal justice system, and the meaning of restorative justice as an alternative to the dominant retributive justice system in the United States.
The Harmon Wray Fund has been set up at Edgehill United Methodist Church which will be used to continue Harmon’s prison ministry life work. Please write checks to Edgehill United Methodist Church noting that the gift is for The Harmon Wray Fund and send it to:
Edgehill United Methodist Church
The Harmon Wray Fund
PO Box 128258
Nashville, TN 37212
TCASK Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing, and has been relentless in his work to end the death penalty in Tennessee.
Harmon was a champion for prison reform and upholding the dignity of those who are incarcerated. As a teacher and author, he educated countless numbers of people concerning the myriad problems with our current criminal justice system. As adjunct faculty of Vanderbilt Divinity School , Harmon created and coordinated a class at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, comprised of both Vanderbilt students and inmates. Harmon was also a founder of the Restorative Justice Coalition of Tennessee , seeking to transform the current criminal justice system from a system primarily focused on punishment to one which facilitates healing and restoration. Most recently, he authored Beyond Prisons: A New Interfaith Paradigm for our Failed Prison System.
Harmon was formerly with the Tennessee Conference Correctional Ministries staff of the Methodist Church and the General Board of Global Ministries. Harmon continued to be an active member of Edgehill United Methodist Church.
Harmon Wray followed the way of Jesus to the end, still giving of himself, even in death as an organ donor. He took Jesus' call to visit the prisoner to heart and spent his life as a fierce advocate for those who are incarcerated. I count him as a mentor and a friend, and today my heart is very heavy as I cannot imagine the world without him. Still, I know that Harmon's spirit will remain with us and will continue to inspire all of us as we struggle together to end the death penalty in Tennessee.
You can read more here
Stacy Rector
Executive Director
Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wray has written and published on criminal justice issues, religion and society in the South, and Christian faith and economic justice in a wide variety of periodicals, and has spoken, taught classes, and conducted workshops on such subjects in many settings.
He is the author of Restorative Justice: Moving Beyond Punishment (New York: General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church, 2002), and co-author with Laura Magnani of Beyond Prisons: A New Interfaith Paradigm for Our Failed Prison System, published by Fortress Press for the American Friends Service Committee in the spring of 2006.
Particular foci of his organizing, teaching, writing and speaking in criminal justice have been capital punishment, the privatization of prisons for profit, the growth of the prison industrial complex, racism in the criminal justice system, and the meaning of restorative justice as an alternative to the dominant retributive justice system in the United States.
The Harmon Wray Fund has been set up at Edgehill United Methodist Church which will be used to continue Harmon’s prison ministry life work. Please write checks to Edgehill United Methodist Church noting that the gift is for The Harmon Wray Fund and send it to:
Edgehill United Methodist Church
The Harmon Wray Fund
PO Box 128258
Nashville, TN 37212
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Duke Lacrosse Members - Lives Shattered: When the Truth No Longer Matters
I read all of Carrie K.Hutchens articles, but this one I just had to share. You can post comments under the post on my blog Barbara's Journey Toward Justice Here Comments are moderated.
Lives Shattered: When the Truth No Longer Matters
By Carrie K. Hutchens
The madness that is over-taking this world never fails to amaze me! I continue to wonder just how all this is possible. When did we stop being, as a whole, compassionate people with the ability to comprehend and reason? When did that all happen? Is there a cure for the insanity that is devouring us?
Mike Nifong, the district attorney from North Carolina, got caught withholding evidence that PROVED the accused were innocent of the charges against them and caught lying to the court. That is spelled, P-R-O-V-E-D and C-A-U-G-H-T! Yet, there are those who are still talking as though the three Duke lacrosse team members (accused of rape) are guilty and that their money simply bought them out of it. Excuse me?!?!?
Lives Shattered: When the Truth No Longer Matters
By Carrie K. Hutchens
The madness that is over-taking this world never fails to amaze me! I continue to wonder just how all this is possible. When did we stop being, as a whole, compassionate people with the ability to comprehend and reason? When did that all happen? Is there a cure for the insanity that is devouring us?
Mike Nifong, the district attorney from North Carolina, got caught withholding evidence that PROVED the accused were innocent of the charges against them and caught lying to the court. That is spelled, P-R-O-V-E-D and C-A-U-G-H-T! Yet, there are those who are still talking as though the three Duke lacrosse team members (accused of rape) are guilty and that their money simply bought them out of it. Excuse me?!?!?
Saturday, August 4, 2007
New Video Footage Released of Execution Facility in North Carolina
Images Of The Death Penalty. If you are for or against state executions, this is a must see video. Comments are welcomed. Share your view by clicking on comments below post. All comments are moderated and for sharing views.
NEW! Video Footage click here Released of Execution Facility in North Carolina
RALEIGH - Captured on film, the warden of North Carolina's Central Prison (Marvin Polk) narrates the preparation and final hours before an execution in Raleigh, where the state execution facilities are located.
Warden Polk takes members of the press through the prison, detailing hour-by-hour the preparation, and carrying out, of a 2:00 am execution. Footage includes the deathwatch area, the table where the last meal is taken, the final holding cell, the IV preparation room, the witness room, and footage of Warden Polk and Captain Marshall Hudson wheeling the gurney into the execution chamber.
The short film includes candid discussion by the warden about the role of doctors in lethal injections as well as his own feelings on overseeing the executions.
Before each North Carolina execution (Fridays at 2:00 am, when scheduled), Central Prison offers a media tour on the preceding Monday morning to explain the execution protocol and answer questions from the press.
The film was shot during a media tour in November 2005, between the executions of Steven McHone (11/11/05) and Elias Syriani (11/18/05) by Scott Langley, a Boston-based photojournalist who has been documenting the death penalty for nearly ten years.
Book Recommendation
"A Compelling and Fascinating Story", Said John Grisham
Dennis Fritz is the other innocent man in John Grisham's book "The Innocent Man".
"Journey Toward Justice" Author Dennis Fritz click here 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
NEW! Video Footage click here Released of Execution Facility in North Carolina
RALEIGH - Captured on film, the warden of North Carolina's Central Prison (Marvin Polk) narrates the preparation and final hours before an execution in Raleigh, where the state execution facilities are located.
Warden Polk takes members of the press through the prison, detailing hour-by-hour the preparation, and carrying out, of a 2:00 am execution. Footage includes the deathwatch area, the table where the last meal is taken, the final holding cell, the IV preparation room, the witness room, and footage of Warden Polk and Captain Marshall Hudson wheeling the gurney into the execution chamber.
The short film includes candid discussion by the warden about the role of doctors in lethal injections as well as his own feelings on overseeing the executions.
Before each North Carolina execution (Fridays at 2:00 am, when scheduled), Central Prison offers a media tour on the preceding Monday morning to explain the execution protocol and answer questions from the press.
The film was shot during a media tour in November 2005, between the executions of Steven McHone (11/11/05) and Elias Syriani (11/18/05) by Scott Langley, a Boston-based photojournalist who has been documenting the death penalty for nearly ten years.
Book Recommendation
"A Compelling and Fascinating Story", Said John Grisham
Dennis Fritz is the other innocent man in John Grisham's book "The Innocent Man".
"Journey Toward Justice" Author Dennis Fritz click here 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
New Yorkers Have Learned We Can Live Without The Death Penalty
Passage of Yet Another Death Penalty Bill Called Cynical
On July 16, the New York State legislature responded to the tragic death of a police officer shot in the line of duty by passing its third death penalty bill this year. Below is a statement on the Senate’s action by David Kaczynski, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty.
July 16 2007 - “We join all New Yorkers in grieving for the recent loss of Police Officer Timoshenko, and other officers and troopers who have died in the service of all of us.
“But State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno knows that today’s passage of a death penalty bill all but identical to one passed earlier this year is a cynical and empty gesture that has no chance of becoming law.
“He knows, as New Yorkers have learned, that the death penalty does not represent swift or sure punishment. No one has been executed in New York in 44 years.
“It is unconscionable that Senator Bruno has led his chamber in this cynical exercise without addressing the plague of wrongful convictions that has seen 26 New Yorkers exonerated and freed after serving long sentences for murders or rapes they did not commit.
“The principal effect of the death penalty is to create a lot more work for lawyers at the taxpayer’s expense without any public benefit. A mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole for those who murder police is a tough sentence fully enforceable in New York State. It protects those who protect us without wasting untold millions of dollars on a decades-long appeals process and without risking the execution of an innocent person.
“The death penalty is a system that buries its worst mistakes. Trying to reinstate the death penalty before tackling the plague of wrongful convictions is a cynical gesture aimed at diverting attention from other issues before the legislature.
“Senator Bruno knows the measure will not become law, no matter how many times he gets his conference to pass it..
“New Yorkers have learned we can live without the death penalty. It is time for Senator Bruno to catch up with the people he represents.”
On July 16, the New York State legislature responded to the tragic death of a police officer shot in the line of duty by passing its third death penalty bill this year. Below is a statement on the Senate’s action by David Kaczynski, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty.
July 16 2007 - “We join all New Yorkers in grieving for the recent loss of Police Officer Timoshenko, and other officers and troopers who have died in the service of all of us.
“But State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno knows that today’s passage of a death penalty bill all but identical to one passed earlier this year is a cynical and empty gesture that has no chance of becoming law.
“He knows, as New Yorkers have learned, that the death penalty does not represent swift or sure punishment. No one has been executed in New York in 44 years.
“It is unconscionable that Senator Bruno has led his chamber in this cynical exercise without addressing the plague of wrongful convictions that has seen 26 New Yorkers exonerated and freed after serving long sentences for murders or rapes they did not commit.
“The principal effect of the death penalty is to create a lot more work for lawyers at the taxpayer’s expense without any public benefit. A mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole for those who murder police is a tough sentence fully enforceable in New York State. It protects those who protect us without wasting untold millions of dollars on a decades-long appeals process and without risking the execution of an innocent person.
“The death penalty is a system that buries its worst mistakes. Trying to reinstate the death penalty before tackling the plague of wrongful convictions is a cynical gesture aimed at diverting attention from other issues before the legislature.
“Senator Bruno knows the measure will not become law, no matter how many times he gets his conference to pass it..
“New Yorkers have learned we can live without the death penalty. It is time for Senator Bruno to catch up with the people he represents.”
Dennis Fritz Gave Signed Copies Of His Book, "Journey Toward Justice" To Vets Of The Vietnam And Iraq War
July 28th, Dennis Fritz gave signed copies of his book, "Journey Toward Justice" to Veterans of the Iraq War and Vietnam Vets at White's Harley Davidson in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Bikers in the Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club gathered at the dealership for a rally.
Dennis Fritz spent 12 years of a life sentence in jail for a murder he didn't commit."Journey Toward Justice," chronicles the injustice he suffered and his exoneration and his fight for freedom. Dennis Fritz said, "there was a time I took freedom for granted- and that's why I am here today". DNA evidence cleared him in 1999 and he was set free.
"I'm here today to share my story with the vets because we all have a the same common thread. And I'm here today to pay tribute to the vets for their sacrifice".
Dennis Fritz is the other innocent man in John Grisham's book “The Innocent Man”. The movie rights for Grisham’s book have been sold to George Clooney and production is scheduled to begin in 2008.
Dennis Fritz now works with the Innocence Project in Kansas City, Missouri
On the Board of Directors of Truth in Justice's and is a co-host for Truth in Justice Radio, broadcasted on WTKM Radio from Hartford, Wisconsin, 104.9 FM, 1540 AM, He makes appearances related to "the innocence movement" nationwide.
He is using a book he recently published, "Journey Toward Justice", as a vehicle to bring awareness of the overall, devastating effects of how false convictions can destroy people's lives and how mistakes can be made in cases. He travels the United States speaking to law schools and also hopes to reach prosecutors and judges. You can find his book here
Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz click here 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
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