Angola 3
Albert Woodfox
Upcoming Court Date for Albert Woodfox
On Tuesday, May 29th, Albert Woodfox will begin a 3 day hearing that may
result in his conviction being overturned for a third time. Proceedings will
begin at 9am in Courtroom 1 at the
US District Court in Baton Rouge and continue through Thursday, May 31st.
Albert will be present for the proceedings, and the hearing is open to the
public. Please remember if attending that the Federal Court strictly enforces a
more formal, conservative dress code (no short skirts or shorts of any kind,
even with tights, no bare upper arms, sleeveless, or low cut shirts) and
requires that observers don't react, either visibly or audibly, to anything the
might see or hear in the courtroom. Also security is tight, so bring only your
ID, car keys, and a pen and paper into the courthouse.
There is limited seating in the courtroom so if you arrive and are turned away,
consider your show of support a success and try coming back the next day!
Unlike the first and second time that Albert's
conviction was overturned based on judges who cited racial discrimination,
prosecutorial misconduct, inadequate defense, and suppression of exculpatory
evidence during his first trials for the 1972 murder of Brent Miller, this
proceeding will seek to overturn based on apparent discrimination in the
selection of a grand jury foreperson during his 1998 retrial.
The well known facts of the A3 case will not be debated; all that will be
examined is whether or not people of color were discriminated against during
the grand jury selection process. This means instead of murder mystery theatre,
witnesses will mostly discuss compositions of the pool of grand jury forepersons
in the Parish where Albert was indicted. Expert witnesses will discuss
statistical analysis and methodology, the demographics of the community, and
the sociological mechanics of how discrimination can play out in the criminal
justice system. If successful, this claim could serve to overturn Albert's
conviction for a third time.
Judge James A. Brady, the same judge who overturned Albert's conviction the
second time in 2008, will preside. That ruling was ultimately
reinstated on appeal by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals who cited
AEDPA-gutted habeas protections that limit federal power that allowed them to
defer judgment to Louisiana.
Although there are no time limits officially imposed by law, Brady is expected
to rule before the end of 2012.
For more on the case, read A Crim Case 5
& 6.
View/download a new A3 flyer updated to be used as an organizing resource here.
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Amnesty International delivers A3 petitions but Gov. Jindal refuses to
meet with the delegation
On April 17, Amnesty International was joined by a delegation of
supporters, holding a press conference at the Louisiana State Capitol building
in Baton Rouge, LA, and hand delivering to Governor Bobby Jindal's office the
petition initiated by Amnesty International demanding the immediate release of
the Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox from solitary confinement.
Governor Jindal refused to meet with the delegation despite several attempts
made by Amnesty International to contact him in the weeks leading up to the
petition delivery.
In a
statement released that day, Everette Harvey Thompson, Southern Office
Regional Director of Amnesty International USA, argued that "the 40-year
isolated incarceration of these two men is scandalous. There is no legitimate
penal purpose for keeping these men in solitary - Louisiana authorities must
end this inhumanity." The day before, Thompson told Between
the Lines: "We've contacted Gov. Jindal's office many times over the
past couple of weeks, requesting a meeting to discuss the case of the Angola 3,
to inquire about the use of solitary confinement in this case, and there's been
no response. Gov. Jindal has the opportunity to stand on the right side of
justice and order removal of Albert and Herman from isolation. We really hope
he will take heed and make some moves."
Herman and Albert each prepared statements for April 17. Herman reflected:
"Exactly 40 years ago today, April 17, we will have been incarcerated for
40 years in solitary confinement in the USA. This is nothing new to Albert and
I, nor to hundreds of thousands in US prisons." Commenting on the effects
of solitary, Albert said: "To be honest I am not sure what damage has been
done to me, but I do know that the feeling of pain allows me to know that I am
alive. If I dwelled on the pain I have endured and stopped to think about how
40 years locked in a cage 23 hours a day has affected me, it would give
insanity the victory it has sought for 40 years."
That morning Robert King was interviewed live by Democracy
Now! and many others have reported on the 40 year anniversary, including BBC,
The
Guardian UK, Mother
Jones, and KPFA's Africa Today (
1 ,
2). Following the event, King writes that "standing on the
State Capitol steps on Tuesday 17 April, I felt the power of the people, of
65,000 people and more - all those who have supported the Angola 3 over the
years were also with us. We could not be ignored - the media were there and
wanted to report on this, organizations stood by our side in support. Amnesty's
presence was felt. For me the day was bitter sweet, bitter with a deep sadness
that we were marking this day but sweet seeing the years of efforts and
struggle culminating in this day. The tide is changing and the time for change
is now. We have the wind at our back and we need to keep on moving."
We want to thank everyone who has supported this campaign! Among the powerful
lineup of A3 supporters at the petition delivery and press conference were
Alfreda Bester-Tillman, Esq. from the Baton Rouge Chapter of the NAACP, Pastor
Kathleen Bacon from the Slidell Chapter of the National Action Network, US
Representative Cedric Richmond and State Representative Patricia Haynes-Smith,
Chair of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus.
Please stay tuned for our next action! Join our
new Facebook page for all the latest news.
View more photos from the State Capitol and read the full statements by
Robert King, Herman Wallace, and Albert Woodfox here.
Freedom Archives
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Questions and comments may be sent to claude@freedomarchives.org