Friday, September 30, 2011

Words of Wisdom, Justice, and Love Speak Truth Forever


Many who hear me re-tell the trial and conviction of Kerry Dalton are heartbroken and frightened. But there are those who scold and warn me; you are asking for troublearen't you afraid you'll hurt your sister's chances in the courts?
No one wants to hear this stuff, how does it affect their lives?
Look how the general public views convicted persons, will people listen or care?
I can lose heart, I get very discouraged, I wonder if society will ever wake up to a new world of compassion - a heaven on earth.  Then I am sent kind reminders of the higher side of the human soul. I read the brave words of men and women who kept on believing;


"And I made it very clear that I recognized that justice was indivisible. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"It is harrowing under any circumstance to kill but it is psychologically devastating to be forced to kill when one doubts it is right."
"On some positions a coward has asked the question; is it safe?
Expediency asks the question, is it politic?
Vanity asks the question, is it popular?
But conscience asks the question; is it right?
And there come a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right."
Martin Luther King Jr
DOMESTIC IMPACT OF THE WAR
November 1967, National Labor Leadership Assembly for Peace



Kerry Lyn Dalton is an innocent woman currently living on Death Row in California.
In March of 1995 she was convicted of 1st degree murder with special circumstances.
She was sent to wait for execution in June '95.

Even though the D.A. tried to get her to plea bargain to 2nd degree murder in exchange for testimony against her co-defendants, Kerry pleaded innocent and still maintains her innocence.

The jury found guilt without a body, without any weapon, without any crime scene evidence, and even without blood evidence (therefore no ability to have DNA testing for exoneration).
There are NO forensics to disprove. The expert team of the San Diego Metropolitan Homicide Task Force did not have one shred of physical evidence of any crime to present the jury.
The evidence table was barren.

The case was built on a missing person's report (phoned in anonymously; after a police investigator asked a CPS worker to do so) and based on hearsay-stories of informants, ex-cons, and drug addicts; all hearsay testimony.


Eventually (2 yrs held in the local jail), the pressure from S.D. authorities pushed Sheryl Ann Baker to tell the D.A. what he wanted to hear in exchange for her own plea bargain.

Some sources can be found that state Kerry had confessed; those refer to the hearsay testimony from a highly disreputable  jailhouse informant who claimed Kerry told her she committed murder.

Kerry  has never made any such statement.


Her first attempt to gain an appeal is still in the process after 16 years.


Please look at these links;

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Day Of Remembrance for Troy Davis

On Saturday, October 1,  a Day of Remembrance,
 in Savannah for Troy Davis’ funeral.
The service is open to the public, but media cameras will not be permitted:

October 1, 11am
“Celebration of Life Service”
Jonesville Baptist Church
5201 Montgomery St., Savannah, Georgia

Let us continue to present the higher side of humanity; stand against all murder. Remember Troy's personal struggle, and continue to do the work. Some of his own very last words,

"The struggle for justice doesn't end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me. I'm in good spirits and I'm prayerful and at peace."  Troy Davis


Juan Melendez visits Spokane

Kristi and  Juan  in Spokane.(We were blessed to have time with Juan to hear his experiences, discuss Jimmy and Kerry's cases, and pray for them both)
         Kerry Dalton's sister, Victoria, and Mr. Juan Melendez, September 25th, 2011.

Juan was exonerated in 2002, after losing nearly 18 years of his life living on Florida's Death Row. On the day Juan was declared innocent of all charges and set free, the state graciously gave him $100.oo, a new pair of pants and a new shirt. Not even an apology was offered...

Juan's appeal came when it was discovered that the D.A. had the confession of the real killer in his possession - 1 month prior to the Melendez trial; he also had 16 documents to back up that confession. None of that information was revealed during Juan's 2 day trial - sentenced to death on the third day.
Because of immunity over district attorneys, that  D.A was not held accountable. There is no way for Mr. Melendez or any other wrongly convicted person to sue a district attorney who inadvertently or even purposely prosecutes the wrong person.

It seems accountability could probably help avoid unjust convictions - what do you think?

It was a pleasure and a privilege to meet Mr. Melendez. His eventual freedom and the life he lives now are such an encouragement to me in hopes for my own sister's life. Mr. Melendez's life on Death Row has affected him permanently; he can never turn the clock back and undo what he lost and what he experienced. Instead of dwelling on the past, Mr. Melendez is dedicated to the people he left behind. He spreads the word about the flaws in the justice system and works hard to change it to a humane, responsible, JUST one. After all, as he has said, there are many others unjustly imprisoned - and some we have already killed, "they will kill them all," if we don't do something about it.

I admire his spirit and compassion. He is a brave, exceptional man! I pray for more people like Juan Melendez to populate this world.
I thank you from my heart for the sacrifices you make to help abolish the Death Penalty Mr. Melendez!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Troy Davis is Finally Free

God be with and comfort Mr. Davis' family; his 20 years of torture are ended in freedom - not the kind we all dreamed of for him, but no one can hurt him any longer. All this nonesense now makes sense to Troy, he can see the bigger picture.

I pray for his family, that they may be comforted, that Troy's spirit will let them know they can let him go, he'll be at peace now.

I pray for the family of the murdered officer; for their healing and their finally understanding that murdering another human being will not bring back their loved one and most definitly is not justified. Even  killing the actual murderer of the officer would not make things better - let alone killing someone who most likely was totally innocent of the crime.

I pray for the human race that it would grow up one day - soon, and know the meaning of life, love, and truth.
Leave behind vengence, wrath, blind rage. It leaves us with a very crippled world...

I am so sad for all of us. We have not come a very long way afterall.
God must be ashamed...

I Am Ashamed of My Country

September 21, 2011

My education to the penal system and my fight for Kerry Lyn Dalton's life has lead me down a dark, scary, lonely road. Unlike most Americans I've had to face the harsh reality that our system is fatally broken, having struggled against it these past 19 years.

The supposed most progressive country, who thinks they are the light and example to the rest of the world, is shameful... The United States of America carries out murders in the name of justice; “Thou Shall not Kill" is an integral concept of all faiths and philosophies. “Two wrongs don't make a right" rings loudly on this day also.

Lawrence Brewer is scheduled to be killed by the state of Texas today; they say he’s vile for killing a man. How much less vile will Texas be once they have done the same?

Troy Davis was not granted clemency, though grave doubts about his guilt have been presented, today he is scheduled to be killed by the state of Georgia.           http://troyanthonydavis.org/

The U.S. has prized itself on its human rights campaigns since our inception, having to learn and evolve to understand – human rights are for all, we are still failing miserably. It is barbaric to be carrying out calculated killings.

We have so many examples of the system failing and the wrong people paying the ultimate penalty, why do we carry on with our heads buried in the sand? 
Even for those who really are dangerous, it would make more sense, follow the conscience of compassionate people, and even be more cost efficient, to keep society safe and give humane treatment to persons who cannot be safe to others - instead of murdering them falsely in the name of “justice”.  

I pray for the heart broken families of the victims, their sorrows are deep.  
I pray for the men looking into the eyes of their killers this evening and for their families who sorrows have been just as deep.
God have mercy on our ignorant nation; show us the light.
(What would Jesus do…?)

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Troy Anthony Davis' execution set for Sept. 21

 http://www.ncadp.org/

http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/usa-troy-davis/watch-videos-examining-the-troy-davis-case

Global Solidarity Day for Troy Davis and the abolition of the Death Penalty;  September 16, 2011
Down town Spokane
View 300867_28...jpg in slide showView 304967_28...jpg in slide showView 303257_28...jpg in slide showView 310176_28...jpg in slide showView 316942_28...jpg in slide show The U.S has killed 79 people under the Capital Punishment law from 2010 - Sept. 2011.  What are we telling our children? What kind of message about the value of human life are we sending?
1. The State can kill whom they choose, (those are righteous killings - not murder? )
2. We don't care if it's fair - we just want someone to pay for our fears and pain... (Do you feel better now?)
3. Anyone we can convict - ( it's not about keeping society safe; we let "the bad guys" go everyday - just tell the D.A. what they want to get a conviction and they'll give you a deal!)

Look what happens when you won't compromise your truth; Jessie Misskelley was offered great leniency if he'd testify Damien Echols killed the three 8 year old boys. He didn't want to lie, so spent half his life in prison...

Kerry Lyn Dalton wouldn't take the D.A.'s offer of 2nd degree murder for her testimony against the others
because she didn't kill Ms May. She wasn't going to lie to get a sweet deal, she chose to trust the system would work. 
Kerry Lyn has lost over 16 years of her life adhering to the truth...


This is not justice, it is not even intelligent. The public is not being protected by a system like this.

Wake up.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

There are many types of Cages

The small man
Builds cages for everyone
He
Knows.

While the sage,
Who has to duck his head
When the moon is low,
Keeps dropping keys all night long
For the
Beautiful
Rowdy
Prisoners.

-- Hafiz


To hide from the truth is a cage of its own - an ostrich can bury its head in the sand, but that only leaves its butt vulnerable to get kicked.