You know it's funny how the death of someone that
you've only had a glimpse of can affect you. I only
knew of Benzir Bhutto by occasional stories on the
networks evening news or in the newspapers. I never
paid much attention to the reports about her and yet
yesterday(Thursday) when I'd heard she'd been
assassinated I was quite saddened. Why? Because
Ms Bhutto had that kind of charm and charisma on
people. After reading the below story please share
with us your thoughts of the Muslim worlds first
female Prime Minister.
She was, by her own account, a "daughter of destiny," a pampered girl from an aristocratic Pakistani family who inherited her father's political mantle and went on to become the Muslim world's first female prime minister. But in the end, that destiny proved a tragic one: Like her father, Benazir Bhutto was killed for her political ambitions.
The assassin who cut short Bhutto's life on Thursday brought to a close a remarkable biography encompassing a privileged childhood, degrees from Harvard and Oxford, stints in jail as a political prisoner, and mass adulation and contempt alike for her two terms as Pakistan's prime minister. After eight years of self-imposed exile, Bhutto, 54, had returned to her native land in October to try for a third term.
Bhutto's triumphal return was marred from the start by violence, when a suicide bomber struck her motorcade and killed more than 140 people in the southern port city of Karachi.
"I have many enemies -- I'm a security target," Bhutto told The Times in June. "But this is a most critical time for the country."
A defiant and strong-willed figure, instantly recognizable in her trademark white scarf, Bhutto never flagged in her belief that she was the best person to lead her nation to democracy and prosperity. That confidence led her to declare herself "chairperson for life" of her Pakistan People's Party and to an imperious style that rewarded loyalists but alienated many others.
Her charisma and skillful political maneuvering were undeniable -- and sometimes masked the fact that her double stint as prime minister was at best a mixed bag, dragged down by allegations of massive corruption and criticism of her lavish lifestyle.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Friday, December 28, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
New Rules May Help Aikens
Baseball Great Willie Mays Aikens is hoping that
the new rules laid down by the Supreme Court
will allow him to get back his freedom. The former
star baseball player has been incarcerated for more
than 10 years in federal lockup for possessing a small
amount of crack cocaine. Read his story below and let
us know how you feel about this miscarriage of justice.
Willie Mays Aikens is a part of baseball lore. As a member of the 1980 Kansas City Royals, he became the only man to hit more than one home run in two games of the same World Series.
But 27 years after his feat, Aikens languishes in a federal prison in Jessup, Ga., brought low by cocaine addiction and a federal law that mandated long prison sentences for crack cocaine offenses.
From a face on a baseball card, Aikens is now a poster child for what some jurists and civil rights activists say is the absurdity of the difference between the way federal law treats people convicted of crack cocaine offenses and those found guilty of crimes involving powder cocaine.
Aikens received more than 15 years for possession of 64 grams of crack -- about the weight of a large Snickers bar. To receive an equivalent sentence, he would have had to possess nearly 6 1/2 kilos -- more than 14 pounds -- of powder cocaine.
"You can supply a whole neighborhood with 6 1/2 kilos," Aikens said by telephone from prison, where he is in the 13th year of his sentence.
Activists, lawyers and many federal judges say cases such as Aikens's demonstrate the inequity of cocaine sentencing laws and validate the U.S. Sentencing Commission's recent decision to ease prison time guidelines for crack offenders. The new guidelines will apply retroactively to about 19,500 inmates.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Super Criminals?
According to a recent report the creation of
a super criminal is now underway. This may
sound a bit far-fetched but after you read
the article below you'll begin to understand,
then drop us a line on what you think.
Riddle us this dear reader, what do the violent situations that have taken place in the Sudan, Uganda, Haiti, Somalia, Rwanda and Liberia all have in common? These are situations in which African people or people of African descent are being killed by other people of African descent in staggering numbers for one reason or another.
And if you're into riddles then you're going to love this one. What do you get when you take film footage of the atrocities that are occuring abroad and put the footage on super slow motion? You get the genocidal, sometimes gang-related, automatic weapon powered skirmishes that occur in depressed black neighborhoods across the US. All too often these "battles" result in the yet another death of a young black male.
Oakland, California, a locale of seemingly endless musical and athletic talent is also the second most murderous city in the California behind Compton, California.
On December 9, San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Meredith May visited the plight of Oakland's desensitized and sometimes brain washed young black male populous and the familial/cultural circumstances that can cause them to become killers in a piece titled "Many young black men in Oakland are killing and dying for respect."
She writes: "Along with the Christmas trees and family gatherings, there's another end-of-the-year ritual in Oakland - a candlelight vigil for the murdered. The body count is woven into the civic consciousness here - a number chased by homicide inspectors, studied by criminologists, lamented in churches, reported by journalists. Every mayor leaves City Hall on broken promises to quell the violence, and the killings continue. An additional 115 have been killed this year, putting Oakland on pace for another gruesome record. In the last five years, 557 people were slain on the city's streets, making Oakland the state's second-most murderous city, behind Compton. Most victims are young, black men who are dying in forgotten neighborhoods of East and West Oakland."
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
a super criminal is now underway. This may
sound a bit far-fetched but after you read
the article below you'll begin to understand,
then drop us a line on what you think.
Riddle us this dear reader, what do the violent situations that have taken place in the Sudan, Uganda, Haiti, Somalia, Rwanda and Liberia all have in common? These are situations in which African people or people of African descent are being killed by other people of African descent in staggering numbers for one reason or another.
And if you're into riddles then you're going to love this one. What do you get when you take film footage of the atrocities that are occuring abroad and put the footage on super slow motion? You get the genocidal, sometimes gang-related, automatic weapon powered skirmishes that occur in depressed black neighborhoods across the US. All too often these "battles" result in the yet another death of a young black male.
Oakland, California, a locale of seemingly endless musical and athletic talent is also the second most murderous city in the California behind Compton, California.
On December 9, San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Meredith May visited the plight of Oakland's desensitized and sometimes brain washed young black male populous and the familial/cultural circumstances that can cause them to become killers in a piece titled "Many young black men in Oakland are killing and dying for respect."
She writes: "Along with the Christmas trees and family gatherings, there's another end-of-the-year ritual in Oakland - a candlelight vigil for the murdered. The body count is woven into the civic consciousness here - a number chased by homicide inspectors, studied by criminologists, lamented in churches, reported by journalists. Every mayor leaves City Hall on broken promises to quell the violence, and the killings continue. An additional 115 have been killed this year, putting Oakland on pace for another gruesome record. In the last five years, 557 people were slain on the city's streets, making Oakland the state's second-most murderous city, behind Compton. Most victims are young, black men who are dying in forgotten neighborhoods of East and West Oakland."
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Monday, December 17, 2007
Al Caught With Hands In Cookie Jar?
Well it looks like Rev. Al Sharpton may have violated
campaign finance laws in 2003. Let's hope not as this
story will continue to unravel. Check out the article
below and let me know your take on the latest caper
of Rev. Sharpton.
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Al Sharpton was caught on tape in 2003 offering to help a fund-raiser win a multimillion-dollar business deal in exchange for helping him raise $50,000 for his presidential campaign.
FBI agents tapping White's phones in 2003 recorded more than 20 conversations between Sharpton and Philadelphia fund-raiser Ronald A. White, most of them related to fund-raising for the presidential campaign and an effort to secure a $40 million pension-fund deal in New York.
Instead of offering to help raise the requested $50,000 for Sharpton's campaign, White offered $25,000, according to the Inquirer.
"If you bring my guys up on this hedge fund, and I have the right conversation," White said on the tape, "I'll give you what you need."
"Cool," Sharpton replied.
The Inquirer obtained an account of the May 9, 2003, conversation, which was recorded as part of the Philadelphia City Hall corruption case. The tape helped spark a separate inquiry into Sharpton's 2004 campaign and his civil-rights organization, the National Action Network. The FBI-IRS probe resurfaced publicly Wednesday, when Sharpton aides received subpoenas.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
campaign finance laws in 2003. Let's hope not as this
story will continue to unravel. Check out the article
below and let me know your take on the latest caper
of Rev. Sharpton.
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Al Sharpton was caught on tape in 2003 offering to help a fund-raiser win a multimillion-dollar business deal in exchange for helping him raise $50,000 for his presidential campaign.
FBI agents tapping White's phones in 2003 recorded more than 20 conversations between Sharpton and Philadelphia fund-raiser Ronald A. White, most of them related to fund-raising for the presidential campaign and an effort to secure a $40 million pension-fund deal in New York.
Instead of offering to help raise the requested $50,000 for Sharpton's campaign, White offered $25,000, according to the Inquirer.
"If you bring my guys up on this hedge fund, and I have the right conversation," White said on the tape, "I'll give you what you need."
"Cool," Sharpton replied.
The Inquirer obtained an account of the May 9, 2003, conversation, which was recorded as part of the Philadelphia City Hall corruption case. The tape helped spark a separate inquiry into Sharpton's 2004 campaign and his civil-rights organization, the National Action Network. The FBI-IRS probe resurfaced publicly Wednesday, when Sharpton aides received subpoenas.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Hats Off To New Jersey!
Let's hope that this is a trend that will continue
in this country. The death penalty has done
nothing to deter crime in this country and only
serves those seeking legal revenge. So my hat is
of for New Jersey for having thee courage to do
the right thing. What do you think?
The New Jersey Assembly voted today to abolish the death penalty, poising the state to become the first since 1965 to eliminate capital punishment.
The state Senate earlier this week also voted to end executions and replace them with sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Gov. Jon S. Corzine, a longtime foe of the death penalty, said today before the vote that he would sign the bill into law within a few days; aides said it would happen most likely early next week.
At a news conference in Trenton, Corzine said, "We would be better served as a society by having a clear and certain outcome for individuals who carry out heinous crimes. And that's what I think we are doing -- making certain that individuals will be in prison without any possibility of parole."
He acknowledged that by signing the bill he could be opening himself to political attack, but said that the current system clearly was not working and "for lots of different reasons, I think the state is taking a painful but constructive step."
Although New Jersey has not had an execution since 1963, the campaign has drawn attention around the country. Sister Helen Prejean, whose work against the death penalty was dramatized in the film "Dead Man Walking," has made a dozen trips to New Jersey in support of the measure and predicted that other states will follow its lead.
However, attempts to abolish the death penalty in several other states have failed in recent years although it now seems possible that Maryland, whose governor opposes capital punishment, will go the same route as New Jersey. Currently, there is a nationwide de facto moratorium on executions, spurred by legal challenges contending that lethal injection, which is used in most states, is excessively painful. The U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue in January.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
in this country. The death penalty has done
nothing to deter crime in this country and only
serves those seeking legal revenge. So my hat is
of for New Jersey for having thee courage to do
the right thing. What do you think?
The New Jersey Assembly voted today to abolish the death penalty, poising the state to become the first since 1965 to eliminate capital punishment.
The state Senate earlier this week also voted to end executions and replace them with sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Gov. Jon S. Corzine, a longtime foe of the death penalty, said today before the vote that he would sign the bill into law within a few days; aides said it would happen most likely early next week.
At a news conference in Trenton, Corzine said, "We would be better served as a society by having a clear and certain outcome for individuals who carry out heinous crimes. And that's what I think we are doing -- making certain that individuals will be in prison without any possibility of parole."
He acknowledged that by signing the bill he could be opening himself to political attack, but said that the current system clearly was not working and "for lots of different reasons, I think the state is taking a painful but constructive step."
Although New Jersey has not had an execution since 1963, the campaign has drawn attention around the country. Sister Helen Prejean, whose work against the death penalty was dramatized in the film "Dead Man Walking," has made a dozen trips to New Jersey in support of the measure and predicted that other states will follow its lead.
However, attempts to abolish the death penalty in several other states have failed in recent years although it now seems possible that Maryland, whose governor opposes capital punishment, will go the same route as New Jersey. Currently, there is a nationwide de facto moratorium on executions, spurred by legal challenges contending that lethal injection, which is used in most states, is excessively painful. The U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue in January.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Monday, December 10, 2007
Vick Given Time To Think About Actions!
Micheal Vick has had his day in court and
it is probably the worst day of his life. The
judge in the case spared no leniency for Vick
who has no criminal record and has done
much for charities. Now the former star quar-
back of the Atlanta Falcons has plenty of time
to think his actions. So what do you think?
Should Vick have been given so much time or
should he have been give probation?
Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison today for running a "cruel and inhumane" dogfighting ring and lying about it.
The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback could have been sentenced up to five years by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Vick, who turned himself in Nov. 19 in anticipation of his sentence, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison suit.
After Vick apologized to the court and his family, Hudson told him: "You need to apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you."
"Yes, sir," Vick answered.
The 27-year-old player acknowledged using "poor judgment" and added, "I'm willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions."
Although there is no parole in the federal system, rules governing time off for good behavior could reduce Vick's prison stay by about three months, resulting in a summer 2009 release.
"You were instrumental in promoting, funding and facilitating this cruel and inhumane sporting activity," Hudson told Vick.
Before the hearing, Michael Vick's brother, Marcus Vick, sat with his right arm around their mother, comforting her as she buried her head in her hands and wept.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank called the sentencing another step in Vick's "legal journey."
"This is a difficult day for Michael's family and for a lot of us, including many of our players and fans who have been emotionally invested in Michael over the years," Blank said. "We sincerely hope that Michael will use this time to continue to focus his efforts on making positive changes in his life, and we wish him well in that regard."
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
it is probably the worst day of his life. The
judge in the case spared no leniency for Vick
who has no criminal record and has done
much for charities. Now the former star quar-
back of the Atlanta Falcons has plenty of time
to think his actions. So what do you think?
Should Vick have been given so much time or
should he have been give probation?
Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison today for running a "cruel and inhumane" dogfighting ring and lying about it.
The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback could have been sentenced up to five years by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Vick, who turned himself in Nov. 19 in anticipation of his sentence, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison suit.
After Vick apologized to the court and his family, Hudson told him: "You need to apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you."
"Yes, sir," Vick answered.
The 27-year-old player acknowledged using "poor judgment" and added, "I'm willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions."
Although there is no parole in the federal system, rules governing time off for good behavior could reduce Vick's prison stay by about three months, resulting in a summer 2009 release.
"You were instrumental in promoting, funding and facilitating this cruel and inhumane sporting activity," Hudson told Vick.
Before the hearing, Michael Vick's brother, Marcus Vick, sat with his right arm around their mother, comforting her as she buried her head in her hands and wept.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank called the sentencing another step in Vick's "legal journey."
"This is a difficult day for Michael's family and for a lot of us, including many of our players and fans who have been emotionally invested in Michael over the years," Blank said. "We sincerely hope that Michael will use this time to continue to focus his efforts on making positive changes in his life, and we wish him well in that regard."
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Judges Get More Power
The Supreme Court has given lower court judges
more latitude in sentencing people caught with
crack cocaine. The issue was that people caught with
crack cocaine(mainly minorities) got more time
than those caught with powder cocaine (mainly
whites). This should bring an end to this issue
that has nagged minorities for years. What do you
think? Let us hear your thoughts.
The Supreme Court today gave federal judges more leeway to set lower prison terms for drug dealers, ruling they need not follow strict sentencing guidelines if they want to reduce the disparity between sentences for crack and cocaine powder.
In one ruling, the court upheld probation, not prison time, for an Arizona man who admitted to selling Ecstasy while he was in college in Iowa. The federal guidelines called for a three-year prison term for this crime.
In a second ruling, the justices upheld a 15-year prison term for a Gulf War veteran from Norfolk, Va., who was arrested with a gun and crack cocaine in his car. Federal guidelines called for a prison term of 19 to 22 years.
Bush administration prosecutors had defended the longer prison terms and said sentencing judges must generally follow the federal rules.
Both decisions came on 7-2 votes, with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissenting.
In the Virginia man's case, the high court voiced its skepticism of the so-called 100-to-1 ratio for crack and powder cocaine offenses. But the justices added that they are not in a position to strike it down entirely, since the formula is written into federal laws.
For example, a person who is convicted of having 5 grams of crack cocaine, or 500 grams of powder cocaine, receives a mandatory five-year prison term. This sentence is set in law and is not subject to the decision of the trial judge.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
more latitude in sentencing people caught with
crack cocaine. The issue was that people caught with
crack cocaine(mainly minorities) got more time
than those caught with powder cocaine (mainly
whites). This should bring an end to this issue
that has nagged minorities for years. What do you
think? Let us hear your thoughts.
The Supreme Court today gave federal judges more leeway to set lower prison terms for drug dealers, ruling they need not follow strict sentencing guidelines if they want to reduce the disparity between sentences for crack and cocaine powder.
In one ruling, the court upheld probation, not prison time, for an Arizona man who admitted to selling Ecstasy while he was in college in Iowa. The federal guidelines called for a three-year prison term for this crime.
In a second ruling, the justices upheld a 15-year prison term for a Gulf War veteran from Norfolk, Va., who was arrested with a gun and crack cocaine in his car. Federal guidelines called for a prison term of 19 to 22 years.
Bush administration prosecutors had defended the longer prison terms and said sentencing judges must generally follow the federal rules.
Both decisions came on 7-2 votes, with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissenting.
In the Virginia man's case, the high court voiced its skepticism of the so-called 100-to-1 ratio for crack and powder cocaine offenses. But the justices added that they are not in a position to strike it down entirely, since the formula is written into federal laws.
For example, a person who is convicted of having 5 grams of crack cocaine, or 500 grams of powder cocaine, receives a mandatory five-year prison term. This sentence is set in law and is not subject to the decision of the trial judge.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Cooper Moves Closer To Death!
Kevin Cooper Convicted twenty some years ago for killing
four people in Chino Hills Ca. is one step closer to being
executed for those murders. He maintains that he's been
framed but the federal appeals court in San Francisco does
not agree with him. Read the article below and your com-
mentary is welcomed.
Calling the evidence of his guilt "overwhelming," a federal appeals court in San Francisco on Tuesday upheld the death sentence of Kevin Cooper, who was convicted of a rampage 25 years ago that left a Chino Hills couple and two children dead.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments from Cooper's appellate lawyers that he was framed and that prosecutors withheld evidence that could have cleared him.
The ruling upheld a decision by U.S. District Judge Marilyn L. Huff in San Diego, who considered new blood and hair evidence tests ordered in the case after the 9th Circuit in 2004 granted a last-minute stay of execution.
Huff wrote that she was convinced that Cooper "is the one responsible for these brutal murders," noting post-conviction DNA testing that linked Cooper to a drop of blood in the hallway outside the bedroom of two of the murder victims, to saliva from cigarette butts found in the hallway and to blood smears on a T-shirt found outside a bar near the murder scene.
The 9th Circuit, in a 3-0 ruling written by Judge Pamela A. Rymer, agreed.
"As the district court, and all state courts, have repeatedly found, evidence of Cooper's guilt was overwhelming," the decision said.
Judges Ronald M. Gould and M. Margaret McKeown concurred in the decision.
But McKeown, in a separate, concurring opinion, expressed her dismay that the court, because of limits on habeas petitions imposed by Congress in 1996, could not examine the "integrity of the evidence".
"Significant evidence bearing on Cooper's culpability has been lost, destroyed or left un-pursued, including, for example, blood-covered overalls belonging to a potential suspect who was a convicted murderer, and a bloody T-shirt, discovered alongside the road near the crime scene," McKeown wrote.
McKeown noted that the criminalist in charge of the evidence was a heroin addict who was fired for stealing drugs seized by police.
The judge said she was "troubled that we cannot, in Kevin Cooper's words, resolve the question of his guilt 'once and for all.' "
According to evidence presented at trial, Cooper had faked a medical condition in 1983 to escape from the Chino state prison, where he was serving a sentence for burglary.
He broke into the home of Douglas and Peggy Ryen and used a hatchet, knife and ice pick to kill the couple, their daughter Jessica, 11, and houseguest Christopher Hughes, also 11.
his Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
four people in Chino Hills Ca. is one step closer to being
executed for those murders. He maintains that he's been
framed but the federal appeals court in San Francisco does
not agree with him. Read the article below and your com-
mentary is welcomed.
Calling the evidence of his guilt "overwhelming," a federal appeals court in San Francisco on Tuesday upheld the death sentence of Kevin Cooper, who was convicted of a rampage 25 years ago that left a Chino Hills couple and two children dead.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments from Cooper's appellate lawyers that he was framed and that prosecutors withheld evidence that could have cleared him.
The ruling upheld a decision by U.S. District Judge Marilyn L. Huff in San Diego, who considered new blood and hair evidence tests ordered in the case after the 9th Circuit in 2004 granted a last-minute stay of execution.
Huff wrote that she was convinced that Cooper "is the one responsible for these brutal murders," noting post-conviction DNA testing that linked Cooper to a drop of blood in the hallway outside the bedroom of two of the murder victims, to saliva from cigarette butts found in the hallway and to blood smears on a T-shirt found outside a bar near the murder scene.
The 9th Circuit, in a 3-0 ruling written by Judge Pamela A. Rymer, agreed.
"As the district court, and all state courts, have repeatedly found, evidence of Cooper's guilt was overwhelming," the decision said.
Judges Ronald M. Gould and M. Margaret McKeown concurred in the decision.
But McKeown, in a separate, concurring opinion, expressed her dismay that the court, because of limits on habeas petitions imposed by Congress in 1996, could not examine the "integrity of the evidence".
"Significant evidence bearing on Cooper's culpability has been lost, destroyed or left un-pursued, including, for example, blood-covered overalls belonging to a potential suspect who was a convicted murderer, and a bloody T-shirt, discovered alongside the road near the crime scene," McKeown wrote.
McKeown noted that the criminalist in charge of the evidence was a heroin addict who was fired for stealing drugs seized by police.
The judge said she was "troubled that we cannot, in Kevin Cooper's words, resolve the question of his guilt 'once and for all.' "
According to evidence presented at trial, Cooper had faked a medical condition in 1983 to escape from the Chino state prison, where he was serving a sentence for burglary.
He broke into the home of Douglas and Peggy Ryen and used a hatchet, knife and ice pick to kill the couple, their daughter Jessica, 11, and houseguest Christopher Hughes, also 11.
his Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Monday, December 3, 2007
One Mistake-Five Lives
As the result of one botched up burglary five
lives have been ruined. And as indicated in the
story below for what? A few dollars! Black on
black crimes continue to be a major problem
in our community as well as a leading cause of
death. Read the article below and then ring in
your opinion of this ugly situation.
Four young men charged with unpremeditated murder in the shooting death of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor have not been strangers to police. Still, nothing came close to what they faced Saturday.
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
lives have been ruined. And as indicated in the
story below for what? A few dollars! Black on
black crimes continue to be a major problem
in our community as well as a leading cause of
death. Read the article below and then ring in
your opinion of this ugly situation.
Four young men charged with unpremeditated murder in the shooting death of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor have not been strangers to police. Still, nothing came close to what they faced Saturday.
Eric Rivera, 17; Charles Wardlow, 18; Jason Mitchell, 19; and Venjah Hunte, 20, were charged with Taylor's slaying, home invasion with a firearm or another deadly weapon and armed burglary. Police said the suspects were looking for a simple burglary, but it turned bloody when they were startled to find Taylor home.
"They're terrified," said Sawyer Smith, who along with his father, Wilbur, represent Rivera and Mitchell. "These are young boys who are absolutely terrified about the position in which they find themselves."
Police and attorneys for two suspects have said some of the young men confessed, though they wouldn't elaborate. All were arrested Friday in southwest Florida, about 100 miles from here, and all but Mitchell had their first court appearance Saturday and were denied bond. Mitchell was expected to have a hearing at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
Taylor, the 24-year-old Pro Bowl safety, died Tuesday, one day after being shot at his home in an affluent Miami suburb.
"It's more than greed. Greed is one thing," said Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's former attorney. "They're looking for a quick hit, a couple of thousand bucks here, a couple of thousand there. And for what?"
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