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Frank D. Russo

The California Progress Report is published by Frank D. Russo, a longtime observer of and participant in California politics.

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When the Innocent Go to Prison in California, the Guilty Go Free

Natasha-Minsker.jpg
By Natasha Minsker

DNA evidence has proven that innocent people are being convicted and sentenced to prison in far greater numbers than we ever imagined. Each time an innocent person is wrongfully convicted, the harm falls not only on that person but also on the community and the crime victims, as each wrongful conviction leaves the true perpetrator on the streets to hurt more people.

Convicting the guilty while protecting the innocent is the most fundamental goal of our criminal justice system. Yet, all too often, we fall short.

• Tuesday night, Stephen Colbert interviewed the 200th DNA exoneree, Jerry Miller. Colbert gave him a card on behalf of “society” saying “Sorry.”

• Here in California, Herman Atkins spent 12 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit—watch his story. So far, no one has apologized to Herman, but a jury did just award him $ 2 million because of misconduct by the Riverside police in his case.

DNA evidence has proven some of our mistakes, but it is not the magic bullet that will prevent these mistakes in the future. DNA evidence is available in less than 15% of cases. That’s why we need to fix the problems that send innocent people to prison.

Three bills currently in the California Legislature would help prevent the most common causes of wrongful conviction:

Senate Bill 511 (Alquist) will require the electronic recording of police interrogation in cases involving homicides and other violent felonies.

Senate Bill 756 (Ridley-Thomas) will require the appointment of a task force to draft voluntary guidelines for the conduct of police line-ups and photo arrays to increase the accuracy of eyewitness identifications.

Senate Bill 609 (Romero) will require the corroboration of testimony by jailhouse informants.

The commission established by the California Senate to investigate the problems with the criminal justice system has recommended all three of these reforms. The California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice—a group of law enforcement officers, prosecutors and defense attorneys—passed a series of unanimous recommendations and these three bills represent the most basic and most urgently needed changes.

All three bills simply implement the “best practices” of law enforcement across the state and the country. More than three dozen California departments already record interrogations and recording is required by statute or rule of the supreme court in several states including New Mexico, Texas, and Iowa. The Los Angeles District Attorney already requires corroboration for jailhouse informants and the Texas Legislature recently passed a corroboration requirement for some informants. Best practices for eyewitness identification have been voluntarily adopted in Santa Clara County, and are required by law or by rule of the state attorney general in other states, including West Virginia and North Carolina.

These jurisdictions have adopted these practices because they help law enforcement officers do their jobs: convict the guilty.

The reforms proposed here are small steps. For example, unlike other states, the electronic recording bill would not lead to exclusion of confessions that were not recorded; it merely requires a cautionary instruction to the jury. The eyewitness identification guidelines will be voluntary. And the informant bill applies only to jailhouse informants, the most unreliable.

These bills will by no means end wrongful convictions in California. But they will be a significant step forward for California’s criminal justice system. If states like Texas and West Virginia can do it, why can’t we?

Natasha Minsker is an attorney with the ACLU of Northern California who focuses on criminal justice issues.

Posted on August 16, 2007

Comments

I guarantee you that Riverside and San Bernardino counties have NOT adopted these measures. Regularly young men are intimidated, lied to and coerced into prison sentences because of threats by DA Investigators.

Once you experience the Justice system here and in many parts of California you will realize that guilt or innocence has nothing to do with it. They scare these young men into pleading guilty to things they have not done. Propositions that we have voted into law let law enforcement get away with anything. We have given them this abuse of power.

We have been fooled by legislators for the last 30 years that use the "tough on crime" soapbox, into passing laws that enhance sentences and give law enforcement the power to say things in court that are completely unsubstantiated and are just their opinions. Juries hear this miss information and take it as fact. Young men are afraid to go to trial because of this practice.

I would guess there are thousands of our kids in prisons doing far more time than necessary that were intimidated by law enforcement to accept a plea deal. They threaten Life in Prison for everything. They over charge these young men with several different felonies that are completely erroneous and they get away with it. These young men are being bullied by older more experienced adults in law enforcement that are looking for pay raises and promotions. They don't care about your innocent.

It happened to my family. We had never had anyone get into trouble until my son. What we saw in our courts was a complete sham of the legal system. I will never trust law enforcement again for any reason. Judges go along with the DA's because DA's can cause the judges to lose their seats. Judges that go against them are not judges for long. They simply organize the Law enforcement union against them when re-election comes along. People have no idea about the power they have.

Hope and pray that no one you care about ever gets into trouble. We don't let our kids grow out of bad behavior anymore, we throw them in prison where they are sure to become the criminals they made them out to be.

DNA just proves that Lawenforcement has in the past made people guilty so they could claim they solved a crime. The crime was theirs and innocent lost decades of their lives. You can't get that back.

It is fight to even get DNA testing if your are incarcerated for life. Law Enforcement and courts fights tooth and nail to block inmates requests for DNA testing in their cases. Why, because they know what they have done to people.

Posted by: Morris1 at August 16, 2007 09:51 AM

Natasha- Thank you for your article. I would also like to see you and the ACLU weigh in on the 3 strikes law and our enhancement laws that absolutely target certain groups. Crime is crime no matter who you are. Enhancements should never happen to specific ethnic groups which these laws clearly do.

Posted by: Morris1 at August 16, 2007 09:55 AM

Until you have been on the other end to the law you have no idea just how corrupt it is. Innocence means nothing!!!
My advice, never ever speak to the police, teach your children the police are not their friends, always have an attorney present. If you do get a copy of the report and see just how many things you did not say are in this report, remember it is the police’s job to make a conviction stick and they will lie on the witness stand to get that conviction. These people are protected by immunity, they can do what ever they want to you and your family and you cannot do anything about it.

DNA can be used in a small amount of cases if the district attorney will actually turn over the evidence. If you look at the cases where the inmates were found innocent, most of the district attorneys were aware of the innocents of that person and yet they still went after the conviction.

Our lives mean nothing to these people but a pay raise and promotions. They use our backs as stepping ladders. We have the power to stop this nonsense and vote the right people in office. Start looking at everyone who is running, don’t just pick the best of the worse, they end up destroying our families, and our very life.

Natasha, I also would like to see you and the ACLU get involved. Inmates need help and so do thier families, if this keeps up eveyone will be in prison.

Posted by: Gentle_Warrior at August 16, 2007 01:29 PM

Morris 1 comments "I would also like to see you and the ACLU weigh in on the 3 strikes law and our enhancement laws that absolutely target certain groups."

This is the trouble with people today, they simply do not understand that the prison reformers, including ACLU, cannot do all the lawsuits that are necessary or change the laws without wide participation of the people hurt.

The demands on all individuals and groups that have fought battles for prison reform are great with precious little volunteer work or financial support coming from the families of the prisoners.

This is why maybe one thing in 10,000 can end up in a lawsuit and we can't get the right people elected to office - "I would like to see you do it" is the thing that makes real progress almost impossible.

There are more than 3 million potential voters connected to a state prisoner, and that kind of voting lobby could change any law it wanted. The bureaucracy is feeding off the poor and uneducated and they are allowing it. Who can rescue that kind of situation except the people hurt?.

Posted by: Vivian Schmidt at August 16, 2007 01:39 PM

Hello Cayenne Bird.

Posted by: Morris1 at August 16, 2007 02:33 PM

Please visit my web site and watch our documentary featuring Michael Moore and myself:

http://www.msnusers.com/freevincentbooth

Posted by: Diane Booth at August 24, 2007 02:44 PM

I am so happy I found your website today. I have two posts dated Sept.8 and Sept.9 on my blog called, Barbara's Journey Toward Justice. About the the 3 bills on wrongful convictions in Ca. One has a direct link to sign a petition to the Governor.

Posted by: Barbara's Journey Toward Justice at September 11, 2007 06:35 AM

I am trying to figure out how to get help for a teen in our family who was sentenced to three life sentences at age 17 for a murder that he did not commit.
He has been incarcerated in southern California's Calipatria Prison since 1993 and he is now 31. He has missed his twenties, and his family cannot afford a good lawyer. There are MANY constitutional violations discovered in his case. The real killer even confessed many years ago, and admitted that our family member had no part in the murder. Yet, he still sits in jail almost ten years later.
We have all details and transcripts from trial, where he was given a public defender, who did not assist him in any way.


HELP or refer us to help!!

Myckelle P. Williams
Marietta, Georgia

Posted by: Myckelle at November 4, 2007 07:51 AM

I am writing on behalf of my son who has been a constant target for the Police in the Monterey County. My son has been harassed every since he was a teen and I just never had the “gutts” to complain or reach out for help. My son would get arrested then released in the middle of the night with a certificate of release and have to walk home across town. My son is not an angel but he has tried to make a difference in his by getting a job and staying out of trouble. He is now being accused of rape that he did not commit he did admit to having sex with the girl but was consensual. She called him to come and pick her up in which it is on his cell phone but, the police took the cell phone. They came to our home to take his vehicle for evidence and released two days later holding me responsible for paying the release and tow fees. This young man is twenty five years old and weighs maybe a hundred fifty pounds and is very easy going. This young man would help anyone and will give his last to help someone. He would never take from anyone as a kid growing up we never had a problem with him stealing or taking anything from anyone. I am just afraid now that the police is really trying to put him away for a crime he did not do. I went looking for this girl on the streets of what is called “China Town” I met a friend of hers who said she is a police informant and that she wanted to “get high” because she had did something to a person for the police. I gave my number to this girl to give to her but, she never called. In the police report the police took from the girl stated that my son brought to our house and the reason she knew it was his house is because she saw a picture of him on the wall right away I knew something was wrong because I have no pictures of anyone on the wall in our home we have all mirrors. This may not be a big case but, and innocent person is on trial for his life and a crime he did not commit. Please if you can give me any help I would greatly appreciate it. Pleas Help Me!

Posted by: Joyce Randall at January 7, 2008 11:27 AM

I believe that there should be something done i have a 19year old brother in prison that is serving way to much time.... and coming out with two strikes and this is his first time going to jail period, something needs to be done...

Posted by: shay at January 10, 2008 12:01 PM

My attorney that I paid to defend me against a domestic violence husband, who plotted to set me up, because of a past record from 15 years ago... sold me out, after I told him I would not cop a guilty plea, he threated me with prison by the end of the week. I was forced to take the offer just to get a stay of execution to handle my affairs. This isnt the first time and the state knows it. This plea just covered their ass. I dont know what to do? Does anyone have any advice for me? I have been a fuctioning citizen in society since my release from prison in 1995. Not even a traffic ticket. Just set up?????

Posted by: jane doe at June 12, 2008 09:23 PM

GREAT SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT PROTECT EVEN THEIR INNOCENT, BECOME THE GUILTY!

THIS FAMOUS AMERICAN WILL ROGERS QUOTE FITS OUR US CONGRESSIONAL MENTALITY PERFECTLY CONCERNING FEDERAL APPEALS IN AMERICA ONLY BEING AVAILABLE TO BE PROPERLY UTILIZED BY AFFLUENT AMERICANS EXCLUDING OUR US MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR FROM EVER HAVING ANY OPPORTUNITY OF EXONERATING THEMSELVES FROM OUR US PRISONS.
" EVERYTHING IS FUNNY AS LONG AS IT IS HAPPENING TO SOMEBODY ELSE! "

***WHEN THE US INNOCENT ARE ABANDONED BY THE GUILTY !
AS MANNY GONZALES AND THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER POORER AMERICAN CITIZENS WHO HAVE BEEN SHUT OUT OF OUR FEDERAL APPEAL JUDICIAL PROCESS WAIT SILENTLY IN PRISONS NATIONWIDE FOR THE US CONGRESS TO ENACT FUTURE LEGISLATION TO DELEGATE THE PROPER FINANCES NEEDED TO CORRECT THIS INJUSTICE FROM CONTINUING,WE ASK EVERY CARING AND LOVING HUMAN BEING INTERESTED IN HELPING THIS VOLUNTEER WWW BLOG GROUP ( LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS) IN POSTING AND REPOSTING PAST AND FUTURE WRITINGS TO VARIOUS WEB SITES AROUND THE WORLD THAT YOU THINK MIGHT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN AFFECTING THIS NEEDED CHANGE IN OUR US JUDICIAL SYSTEM.

Sophocles had a very interesting view about justice."How Dreadful It Is when the Right Judge Judges Wrong ! "


** A MUST READ ABOUT AMERICAN INJUSTICE **
Google or Yahoo--
MANNY GONZALES THE KID THAT EVERYONE FORGOT IN THE CA PRISON SYSTEM.*** ONE PRIME EXAMPLE OF JUSTICE GONE ASTRAY IN AMERICA !

*** FOR OUR COUNTRY TO BE SO BLESSED WITH FINANCIAL WEALTH NOT TO WANT TO INVEST PROPER MONIES INTO OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM ,SAYS ALOT ABOUT WHO WE REALLY ARE AS AMERICANS.

**SINCE THERE ARE MASSES OF DEATH ROW INMATES NATIONWIDE WITHOUT APPEAL LAWYERS TO OUR FEDERAL COURTS,IT'S TIME THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY BECOMES INFORMED AND HOPEFULY INVOLVED TO INVESTIGATE AND HELP FORCE THE PROPER CHANGE BRINGING AMERICA OUT OF THE DARK AGES OF ONLY CATERING REAL JUSTICE TO OUR WEALTHIER CITIZENS !

lawyersforpooramericans@yahoo.com (424-247-2013)


Posted by: DOUGLAS FIELD at July 7, 2008 07:19 PM

WHEN CERTAIN GROUPS OF AMERICANS BECOME LESS IMPORTANT THEN US FOREIGN AID!

OUR US CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD APPEAR VERY MOTIVATED IN HELPING OTHERS LESS FORTUNATE AROUND THE WORLD BEFORE OUR OWN US JUDICIAL HOUSE IS EVEN COMPLETED BEING BUILT !

IF OUR COUNTRY HAS $50 BILLION DOLLARS AVAILABLE OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS TO GIVE TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO HELP FIGHT AIDS,THERE IS NO VALID REASON THAT OUR US CONGRESS HAS IN NOT INVESTING JUST 10 BILLION IN OUR OWN US JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE EVERY POORER AMERICAN HAS A FAIR OPPORTUNITY IN AVOIDING BEING FALSELY ARRESTED AND IMPRISONED DUE TO THEIR LACK OF FINANCES !

**AMERICAN JUDGES NATIONWIDE ARE EVEN BEING TOLD BY OUR US CONGRESS THAT THERE IS NO CURRENT FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THEM, EVEN THOUGH MANY ARE VERY UNDER PAID FOR THE NEEDED WORK THEY ARE DOING

ALMOST EVERY STATE IN THE US IS IN DEBT, BUT SOMEHOW THERE STILL IS THIS TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS FOR THIS (WORTHY) US INTERNATIONAL RELIEF EFFORT ?

EVERY AMERICAN APPRECIATES BEING BLESSED TO BE LIVING IN THE WORLD'S #1 ECONOMY AND HELPING OTHERS WORLWIDE WHEN THE NEED OCCURS, BUT IS IT SUCH A BAD IDEA TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR US CONGRESS BEGINS TO ALSO TAKE BETTER CARE OF OUR OWN AMERICAN CITIZENS VERY REAL NEEDS ?

SADLY, OUR COUNTRY IS REPORTED TO BE THE
# 1 COUNTRY IN THE WORLD IN FALSELY IMPRISONING ONES OWN CITIZENS WITH THE ASTOUNDING FIGURES OF HAVING AN ESTIMATED (100,000) INNOCENT AMERICANS BEHIND BARS.

SINCE OUR ELECTED US CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD CONTINUE TO DENY POORER AMERICANS PROPER LEGAL PROTECTIONS TO AVOID DECADES OF FALSE IMPRISONMENT WHILE CONTINUING TO FIND EXTREME AMOUNTS OF $$$ FOR OTHER WORLDWIDE ISSUES THEY DEEM MORE VITAL OR WORTHY THEN THEIR OWN TAX PAYING NEEDY CITIZENS, WE AT LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS WILL CONTINUE ASKING THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD COURT AND UNITED NATIONS TO INVESTIGATE FALSE INCARCERATIONS IN AMERICA AS A VERY SERIOUS AND REAL CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE !

GOOGLE OR YAHOO;
LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS
FOR A JUDICIAL RIDE OF ONES LIFE.

Posted by: Douglas Field at July 12, 2008 11:28 PM

INNOCENT AMERICANS ARE DENIED REAL HC RIGHTS WITH THEIR FEDERAL APPEALS !

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE $LOWLY FINDING OUT HOW EA$Y IT I$ FOR MIDDLE CLA$$ AND WORKING POOR AMERICAN$ TO FALL VICTIM TO OUR U$ MONETARY JUDICIAL $Y$TEM.


****WHEN THE US INNOCENT WERE ABANDONED BY THE GUILTY ****

The prison experts have reported that there are 100,000 innocent Americans currently being falsely imprisoned along with the 2,300,000 total US prison population nationwide.

Since our US Congress has never afforded poor prison inmates federal appeal legal counsel for their federal retrials,they have effectively closed the doors on these tens of thousands of innocent citizens ever being capable of possibly exonerating themselves to regain their freedom through being granted new retrials.

This same exact unjust situation was happening in our Southern States when poor and mostly uneducated Black Americans were being falsely imprisoned for endless decades without the needed educational skills to properly submit their own written federal trial appeals.

This unjust judicial process of making our poor and innocent prison inmates formulate and write their own federal appeal legal cases for possible retrials on their state criminal cases,is still in effect today even though everyone in our US judicial system knows that without proper legal representation, these tens of thousands of innocent prison inmates will be denied their rightful opportunities of ever being granted new trials from our federal appeal judges!!

Sadly, the true US *legal* Federal Appeal situation that occurs when any of our uneducated American prison inmates are forced to attempt to submit their own written Federal Appeals (from our prisons nationwide) without the assistance of proper legal counsel, is that they all are in reality being denied their legitimate rights for Habeas Corpus and will win any future Supreme Court Case concerning this injustice!

For our judicial system and our US Congressional Leaders Of The Free World to continue to pretend that this is a real and fair opportunity for our American Middle Class and Working Poor Citizens, only delays the very needed future change of Federal Financing of all these Federal appeals becoming a normal formula of Our American judicial system.

It was not so very long ago that Public Defenders became a Reality in this country.Prior that legal reality taking place, their were also some who thought giving anyone charged with a crime a free lawyer was a waste of taxpayers $$.

This facade of our Federal Appeal proce$$ is not worthy of the Greatest Country In The World!

***GREAT SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT PROTECT EVEN THEIR INNOCENT,BECOME THE GUILTY!

lawyersforpooramericans@yahoo.com

Posted by: Douglas Field at July 13, 2008 06:10 PM

IS NELSON MANDELA NEEDED IN AMERICA TO CORRECT THIS INJUSTICE ?


WHEN GOD'S FACE TURNED RED !!!

ENEMY COMBATANTS GOT HC RIGHTS TO OUR US FEDERAL COURTS WITH REAL FEDERAL APPEAL LAWYERS,& POORER AMERICANS ARE ROTTING IN US PRISONS WITHOUT EITHER !


**** INNOCENT AMERICANS ARE DENIED REAL HC RIGHTS WITH THEIR SELF WRITTEN FEDERAL APPEALS! ****

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE $LOWLY FINDING OUT HOW EA$Y IT I$ FOR MIDDLE CLA$$ AND WORKING POOR AMERICAN$ TO FALL VICTIM TO OUR U$ MONETARY JUDICIAL $Y$TEM.

****WHEN THE US INNOCENT WERE ABANDONED BY THE GUILTY ****
The prison experts have reported that there are 100,000 innocent Americans currently being falsely imprisoned along with the 2,300,000 total US prison population nationwide.

Since our US Congress has never afforded poor prison inmates federal appeal legal counsel for their federal retrials,they have effectively closed the doors on these tens of thousands of innocent citizens ever being capable of possibly exonerating themselves to regain their freedom through being granted new retrials.

This same exact unjust situation was happening in our Southern States when poor and mostly uneducated Black Americans were being falsely imprisoned for endless decades without the needed educational skills to properly submit their own written federal trial appeals.

This devious and deceptive judicial process of making our poor and innocent prison inmates formulate and write their own federal appeal legal cases for possible retrials on their state criminal cases,is still in effect today even though everyone in our US judicial system knows that without proper legal representation, these tens of thousands of innocent prison inmates will be denied their rightful opportunities of ever being granted new trials from our federal appeal judges!!

Sadly, the true US *legal* Federal Appeal situation that occurs when any of our uneducated American prison inmates are forced to attempt to submit their own written Federal Appeals (from our prisons nationwide) without the assistance of proper legal counsel, is that they all are in reality being denied their legitimate rights for Habeas Corpus and will win any future Supreme Court Case concerning this injustice!

For our judicial system and our US Congressional Leaders Of The Free World to continue to pretend that this is a real and fair opportunity for our American Middle Class and Working Poor Citizens, only delays the very needed future change of Federal Financing of all these Federal appeals becoming a normal formula of Our American judicial system.

It was not so very long ago that Public Defenders became a Reality in this country.Prior that legal reality taking place, their were also some who thought giving anyone charged with a crime a free lawyer was a waste of taxpayers $$.

This facade of our Federal Appeal proce$$ is not worthy of the Greatest Country In The World!

***GREAT SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT PROTECT EVEN THEIR INNOCENT, BECOME THE GUILTY!

A MUST READ ABOUT AMERICAN INJUSTICE::
1) YAHOO AND 2) GOOGLE
MANNY GONZALES THE KID THAT EVERYONE FORGOT IN THE CA PRISON SYSTEM.
** A JUDICIAL RIDE OF ONES LIFE! (lawyersforpooramericans@yahoo.com)

Posted by: DOUGLAS FIELD at August 5, 2008 01:46 PM

FIRST THE BLACK AMERICANS, AND NOW THE LATINO AMERICANS !

THE MOST DEVIOUS AND DECEPTIVE MEANS TO KEEP CERTAIN GROUPS OF AMERICANS IN US PRISONS, IS TO NOT OFFER THEM LEGITIMATE HC RIGHTS TO OUR US FEDERAL COURTS !

THIS LEAGL FACADE OF THE MANNY GONZALES CASE ONLY POINTS OUT JUST ONE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY ALL MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR AMERICANS DESERVE EQUAL AND JUST OPPORTUNITIES WITH PROPER LEGAL COUNSEL TO OUR FEDERAL COURT OF APPEALS.

FOR OUR US CONGRESS TO CONTINUE TO DENY LEGITIMATE HC RIGHTS TO OUR FEDERAL COURTS FOR POORER AMERICANS AND OUR US SUPREME COURT AWARD ENEMY COMBATANTS FEDERAL APPEAL LAWYERS AND THEIR RIGHTS TO HC IN OUR US FEDERAL COURTS,MAKES A PICTURE PERFECT MOVIE SCRIPT ( OF AMERICAN INJUSTICE ) FOR MICHAEL MOORE OR SPIKE LEE TO PURSUE !!!

**What we have here in this Manny Gonzales criminal case is a jury,judge and DA taking care of their communities safety from gangs in a typical vigilante hang them high process.The presiding judge tells both attorneys(defense and prosecutor)prior the trial that this specific case is not gang related and advises the DA to instruct their witnesses not to mention or insinuate gang association information to the jury.
** At this point in this trial the presiding judge is aware of and and protective of the defendants rights to a fair trial,knowing darn well that if a LA jury is lead to believe (rightly or wrongly)that a defendant is affiliated with a gang that a fair trial is almost impossible. What happens next when this DA decides to use gang association (over the presiding judges orders and objections)on this jury is really quite devious.LA judges are allowing these type of unjust trials to continue knowing these defendants can appeal for a new trial from prison after they lose their jury trials.
** Local DA's know this local judicial system will not dismiss a jury due to DA's using gang association with defendants and they have a free hand to play their jury to the max.This play acting between the presiding judge pretending to protect the defendants right to a fair trial and the devious DA who wants to protect our society by taking justice into their own hands,is a little what Manny Gonzales and his public defender had to deal with.
** Any judge that allows a rogue DA to disobey their specific orders on misleading their jury into believing the defendant is either a gang member or the specific crime is gang related should have the common sense and decency to dismiss the jury and call for a new trial.
** This kid Manny Gonzales tried as an adult needed this judge not just to set the guidelines in the beginning of the trial with this rogue DA, but also to continue to protect the defendant with his right to a fair trial throughout the entire trial. When this presiding judge allowed this trial to continue, the jury believed both the DA and the judge that Manny Gonzales was a gang member and this specific shooting incident was not related to his affiliation with gang activity. Every night during this two week trial this jury went home and had the opportunity to watch gang violence reported on the nightly news.How could anyone think that Manny Gonzales and his public defender in tow could defeat a presiding judge,rogue DA and a inflamed jury with nightly exposure to gang TV violence?

*** If anyone deserves a call for GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME A NEW TRIAL Manny Gonzales Does !!

YAHOO & GOOGLE MANNY GONZALES THE KID THAT EVERYONE FORGOT IN THE CA PRISON SYSTEM !
IT IS A JUDICIAL RIDE OF ONES LIFE !

lawyersforpooramericans@yahoo.com

Posted by: LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS at August 10, 2008 02:47 PM

i am an innocent man wrongfully convicted by a corrupt court of law Pomona Ca. see freecolin.com. if you can help me. sentenced 1993 25yrs to life age 18. uk citizen.real killers(cherieville gang members) took the fifth and walked out of court free to kill again.your articles bring home to me the injustice of the american legal system. rogue lawyers and investigators took our money and laughed all the way to the bank.

Posted by: colin anditon H11073 at August 14, 2008 08:45 AM

WHERE ARE AMERICA'S RELIGIOUS LEADERS ?

** SADLY THIS REPRESSIVE JUDICIAL INJUSTICE HAS BECOME AN AMERICAN ART FORM !!!

*** WHEN GOD'S FACE BECAME VERY RED ***
THE US SUPREME COURT GAVE ENEMY COMBATANTS FEDERAL APPEAL HC RIGHTS LAWYERS AND PROPER ACCESS TO US FEDERAL COURTS,AND POORER AMERICANS (MANY EVEN ON DEATH ROW) ARE DENIED PROPER FEDERAL APPEAL LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO OUR US FEDERAL COURTS OF APPEAL, AND ROTTING IN AMERICAN PRISONS NATIONWIDE ?????????

**** INNOCENT AMERICANS ARE DENIED REAL HC RIGHTS WITH THEIR FEDERAL APPEALS !
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE $LOWLY FINDING OUT HOW EA$Y IT I$ FOR MIDDLE CLA$$ AND WORKING POOR AMERICAN$ TO FALL VICTIM TO OUR U$ MONETARY JUDICIAL $Y$TEM.

****WHEN THE US INNOCENT WERE ABANDONED BY THE GUILTY ****
The prison experts have reported that there are 100,000 innocent Americans currently being falsely imprisoned along with the 2,300,000 total US prison population nationwide.
Since our US Congress has never afforded poor prison inmates federal appeal legal counsel for their federal retrials,they have effectively closed the doors on these tens of thousands of innocent citizens ever being capable of possibly exonerating themselves to regain their freedom through being granted new retrials.

This same exact unjust situation was happening in our Southern States when poor and mostly uneducated Black Americans were being falsely imprisoned for endless decades without the needed educational skills to properly submit their own written federal trial appeals.

This devious and deceptive judicial process of making our poor and innocent prison inmates formulate and write their own federal appeal legal cases for possible retrials on their state criminal cases,is still in effect today even though everyone in our US judicial system knows that without proper legal representation, these tens of thousands of innocent prison inmates will be denied their rightful opportunities of ever being granted new trials from our federal appeal judges!!

Sadly, the true US *legal* Federal Appeal situation that occurs when any of our uneducated American prison inmates are forced to attempt to submit their own written Federal Appeals (from our prisons nationwide) without the assistance of proper legal counsel, is that they all are in reality being denied their legitimate rights for Habeas Corpus and will win any future Supreme Court Case concerning this injustice!

For our judicial system and our US Congressional Leaders Of The Free World to continue to pretend that this is a real and fair opportunity for our American Middle Class and Working Poor Citizens, only delays the very needed future change of Federal Financing of all these Federal appeals becoming a normal formula of Our American judicial system.

It was not so very long ago that Public Defenders became a Reality in this country.Prior that legal reality taking place, their were also some who thought giving anyone charged with a crime a free lawyer was a waste of taxpayers $$.

This FACADE and HORROR of our Federal Appeal proce$$ is not worthy of the Greatest Country In The World!

***GREAT SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT PROTECT EVEN THEIR INNOCENT, BECOME THE GUILTY!

A MUST READ ABOUT AMERICAN INJUSTICE::
1) YAHOO AND 2) GOOGLE
MANNY GONZALES THE KID THAT EVERYONE FORGOT IN THE CA PRISON SYSTEM.
** A JUDICIAL RIDE OF ONES LIFE !

lawyersforpooramericans@yahoo. com

Posted by: DOUGLAS FIELD at August 24, 2008 06:14 PM

SENATOR OBAMA PLEASE LET AMERICA KNOW YOUR TRUE FEELINGS CONCERNING THIS AMERICAN JUDICIAL INJUSTICE ???

WITH 80% OF THE BLACK AMERICAN VOTERS SAYING THEY SUPPORT SENATOR OBAMA IN THIS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, IT IS ONLY FAIR FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW PRIOR BEING ELECTED OUR NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HOW THIS DEMOCRATIC SENATOR TRUELY FEELS ABOUT THIS AMERICAN JUDICIAL HORROR CONTINUING TO INFLICT GRAVE HARM ON THE BLACK AMERICAN FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE ??????

** SADLY THIS REPRESSIVE JUDICIAL INJUSTICE HAS BECOME AN AMERICAN ART FORM !!!

*** WHEN GOD’S FACE BECAME VERY RED ***
THE US SUPREME COURT GAVE ENEMY COMBATANTS FEDERAL APPEAL HC RIGHTS LAWYERS AND PROPER ACCESS TO US FEDERAL COURTS,AND POORER AMERICANS (MANY EVEN ON DEATH ROW) ARE DENIED PROPER FEDERAL APPEAL LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO OUR US FEDERAL COURTS OF APPEAL, AND ROTTING IN AMERICAN PRISONS NATIONWIDE ?????????

**** INNOCENT AMERICANS ARE DENIED REAL HC RIGHTS WITH THEIR FEDERAL APPEALS !
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE $LOWLY FINDING OUT HOW EA$Y IT I$ FOR MIDDLE CLA$$ AND WORKING POOR AMERICAN$ TO FALL VICTIM TO OUR U$ MONETARY JUDICIAL $Y$TEM.

****WHEN THE US INNOCENT WERE ABANDONED BY THE GUILTY ****
The prison experts have reported that there are 100,000 innocent Americans currently being falsely imprisoned along with the 2,300,000 total US prison population nationwide.
Since our US Congress has never afforded poor prison inmates federal appeal legal counsel for their federal retrials,they have effectively closed the doors on these tens of thousands of innocent citizens ever being capable of possibly exonerating themselves to regain their freedom through being granted new retrials.

This same exact unjust situation was happening in our Southern States when poor and mostly uneducated Black Americans were being falsely imprisoned for endless decades without the needed educational skills to properly submit their own written federal trial appeals.

This devious and deceptive judicial process of making our poor and innocent prison inmates formulate and write their own federal appeal legal cases for possible retrials on their state criminal cases,is still in effect today even though everyone in our US judicial system knows that without proper legal representation, these tens of thousands of innocent prison inmates will be denied their rightful opportunities of ever being granted new trials from our federal appeal judges!!

Sadly, the true US *legal* Federal Appeal situation that occurs when any of our uneducated American prison inmates are forced to attempt to submit their own written Federal Appeals (from our prisons nationwide) without the assistance of proper legal counsel, is that they all are in reality being denied their legitimate rights for Habeas Corpus and will win any future Supreme Court Case concerning this injustice!

For our judicial system and our US Congressional Leaders Of The Free World to continue to pretend that this is a real and fair opportunity for our American Middle Class and Working Poor Citizens, only delays the very needed future change of Federal Financing of all these Federal appeals becoming a normal formula of Our American judicial system.

It was not so very long ago that Public Defenders became a Reality in this country.Prior that legal reality taking place, their were also some who thought giving anyone charged with a crime a free lawyer was a waste of taxpayers $$.

This FACADE and HORROR of our Federal Appeal proce$$ is not worthy of the Greatest Country In The World!

***GREAT SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT PROTECT EVEN THEIR INNOCENT, BECOME THE GUILTY!
A MUST READ ABOUT AMERICAN INJUSTICE:
1) YAHOO AND 2) GOOGLE
MANNY GONZALES THE KID THAT EVERYONE FORGOT IN THE CA PRISON SYSTEM.
** A JUDICIAL RIDE OF ONES LIFE !

lawyersforpooramericans @ yahoo.com

Posted by: DOUGLAS FIELD at August 27, 2008 02:26 PM

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