Dear Friend of Justice,
This is a most difficult time of the year to be in prison, especially if you are innocent with little hope for justice.
You can bring some cheer to a prisoner just by taking the time to send a card, letter, or note.
If you don’t regularly correspond with a prisoner, here is a list of some names and addresses.
Thanks!
-Bob
Dear Editor:
I was disappointed that the Phoenix chose to describe Attorney General’s Martha Coakley’s stand against the health-care bill recently passed by the House of Representatives as “principled.” Coakley takes “principled” stands when they benefit her politically. And her more dubious stands are ignored by the adoring press.
How many voters, for example, know that she recently signed Massachusetts onto an amicus brief that advocates total immunity for prosecutors?
The case, now before the Supreme Court, concerns two Iowa African-Americans who were framed by prosecutors for a murder they did not commit. These two innocent men spent 25 years of their lives in prison. Because of Coakley, Massachusetts now supports the position that “There is no freestanding Constitutional ‘right not to be framed.’“ Coakley and the Iowa prosecutors argue that there would be a “chilling” effect if prosecutors were forced to obey the law. One would hope so.
Most, unfortunately, have forgotten Coakley’s own checkered history as a prosecutor in the Middlesex DA’s office. She was an avid witch hunter while the daycare sex panic still raged. She came to prominence prosecuting Ray and Shirley Souza, two grandparents who were charged with bizarre sex crimes they did not commit. She also fought to send the Amiraults back to prison and successfully lobbied against commuting Gerald Amirault’s sentence.
Halfway intelligent people who have looked into these cases have quickly realized that no crimes were committed and that the Amiraults and Souzas were convicted on fabricated unreliable evidence. Unfortunately, few voters remember that Coakley had anything to do with these cases.
Coakley is not “principled.” She is ruthlessly ambitious. If would be tragic should she be elected to succeed Ted Kennedy.
Robert B. Chatelle
Dear Friend of Justice,
While a few remember Coakley’s disgraceful (but late) involvement in the Amirault case, fewer remember her career-making prosecution of two innocent Lowell grandparents, convicted (without evidence) of sexually abusing their grandchildren.
Coakley was the prosecutor.
Please read this account of the case by Mark Pendergrast.
-Bob
Dear Friend of Justice,
A great many injustices have been caused by dangerous techniques used by psychotherapists who abhor scientific method — e.g., coercive interviewing of children (and adults) and the implantation of false memories.
An important new report has been published documenting the attitudes many therapists have about science:
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/index.cfm?journal=pspi&content=pspi/9_2
There have also been articles about this study in the Los Angeles Times (click here) and Newsweek (click here).
-Bob
Dear Friend of Justice,
The recent arrest of director Roman Polanski has fired an intense and emotional national debate. Most of the debate seems to be about whether Polanski is essentially a “good” man or a “bad man,” whether he should be forgiven, etc.
I take no stand on any of this because this debate obscures the fundmental issues.
As a criminal-justice advocate, my concern is whether or not Polanski received due process. Like freedom of speech, due process, according to our Constitution, is a right that is supposed to apply to all — bad people included.
Last night, Jim and I rented Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. I highly recommend it. The movie leaves no doubt that Polansku was denied due process because of grave judicial misconduct. And the most compelling statements supporting this come not from Polanski, his lawyers, or his supporters. They come from Roger Gunson — Polanski’s prosecutor.
This movie should be required viewing for everone participating in this debate.
-Bob
Dear Friend of Justice,
From Reason magazine: http://www.reason.com/news/show/135474.html
A must read!
-Bob Chatelle
Dear Friend of Justice,
I am trying to build a press list of email address for sending future press releases. If you can supply me with some, email me at bobchatelle@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Bob
Dear Friend of Justice,
I have just posted some important documents in the Father Paul Shanley case on the website of the National Center for Reason and Justice .
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will be hearing arguments in the case in early September.
-Bob
From the Berkshire Eagle:
Dropping Baran case, DA calls jury’s verdict correct
Baran’s family can put the past finally behind
From the Worcester Telegram:
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