SAVE FRANCES NEWTON FROM THE GALLOWS

HERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT STORY THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN ON OUR "MAINSTREAM MEDIA" (WHATELSE IS NEW?)

Below is a letter to The Governor of Texas plus many more of our leaders to not execute a woman who is innocent of a heinous crime perpetrated on her husband and small children. This story really got to me and I had to sign the petition along with my comments. I am against capital punishment because of such a travesty of an innocent person being put to death for a crime THEY DID NOT COMMIT... Please help this woman and sign the petition.
HERE IS THE LINK: http://www.freefrances.org/
Thank you,
ThinkingBlue

PS: Please send this petition around, time is running out!

*** URGENT ***
20 DAYS
TO SAVE FRANCES

Governor Perry, Attorney General Abbott, President Bush, Senators and Representatives, Houston Mayor White, Houston City Councilors, and Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles:
On September 14, 2005, Frances Newton, AN INNOCENT WOMAN, is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas.

If the jury had known the facts that are presently known, they would not have found Frances guilty nor given her the death sentence.

The dubious motive, unrealistic timeline, the police's refusal to follow important leads, and most of all, her incompetent counsel, all point to the compelling evidence that proves Frances Newton is innocent. She has been on death row for 18 years, and you have already granted her a 120- day stay. But on the basis of new evidence, Frances needs to finally have her day in court. We plead to you in good conscience to STOP THE EXECUTION OF FRANCES NEWTON.

THINKING BLUE'S OPINION ON THIS IS:
You must stop the death of this innocent person. If you do not, murder will be part of your resume. We live in an unjust and unequal society, and part of the reason is the acceptance of the cruel and unusual capital punishment.

I have served on a jury and believe me the judgement from peers is a joke. The ordinary juror does not stand a chance to honestly evaluate the guilt or innocence of an accused person without prejudice. Highly educated and experienced prosecuting attorneys paint a picture of the defendant’s guilt which is rarely contested by an incompetent, uncaring defense lawyer who is appointed for a person that lacks the funds to hire a well trained counsel. Plus securing a guilty verdict is a feather in the cap of a career oriented prosecuting lawyer. Furthermore, so many times the lawyers appointed for a poor person's defense could care less if their "client" is found guilty or not, they go through the motions just to get it over with as quickly as possible, so they can get back to their practices and make money. Frances Newton's lawyer did not even need a jury to judge her, he determined her guilt even before he saw her. This is a travesty and beyond comprehension in a humane society.

Please I beg you, do not allow this person to be executed, she has suffered so much with the loss of her family and the loss of her freedom. Being on death row for 18 long years, knowing she was falsely accused of not just a crime but a horrible murder that took out her family. Sad is too small a word to describe this and if this innocent person is put to death it will go down in history as an extreme abasement to the Texas Justice System. Sincerely,

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND HERE IS THE STORY:
Protesters rally around Houston woman on death row
05:47 PM CDT on Monday, August 22, 2005

By Reggie Aqui / 11 News


HOUSTON -- Demonstrators gathered in downtown Houston Monday in the hopes of saving Frances Newton from her scheduled September execution.

She would be the first African American woman put to death in Texas since the Civil War.

KHOU-TV

Like most members of the group, Rabia Tahiri has never met Newton.


"This is like a Pandora's box," Marcia Hale told the Houston Chronicle.

Hale is a street minister associated with the Committee to Free Frances Newton. "If this woman is executed, she's going to be like a poster child to open the door for other females of all races to be murdered," Hale said.

The protestors were hoping to have enough people to gather all alongside the Harris County courthouse, but not enough showed up to do so.

"We want to stand up for justice, not only for today, but for the rest of our lives," a protestor said to the crowd.

Like most members of the Committee to Free Frances Newton, Rabia Tahiri has never met Newton. But she's familiar with her story, which dates back to April 1987.

Newton claims she walked into her apartment and found her husband and two young children dead. But investigators pointed the finger at Newton after discovering a gun and an insurance policy recently taken out on the family.

They believe a $100,000 insurance policy was the motive.

The demonstrators in downtown Houston and on the Internet said the real truth still hasn't come to light. Supporters said Newton did not receive an adequate defense and is not guilty of the crime.

"I care because every life is precious, and especially when a woman is innocent. She deserves that each one of us fight for her, especially that they're doing this in our name, the State of Texas, Harris County," said Rabia Tahiri.

Monday's demonstration is just the beginning of the save Frances campaign. The group plans to organize again in Houston later in the week and in Austin on Saturday to try and get the governor's attention.

Governor Perry issued a rare 120-day reprieve last December to stop Newton's scheduled execution. That allowed for additional ballistics testing on a .25-caliber Raven Arms pistol that Newton had hidden in an abandoned house the night of the shootings. Bullets test-fired from that gun matched those removed from the victims.

Newton has been on death row for 19 years now.

CAROLYNCONNETION - I've got a mind and I'm going to use it!

Thinking Blue

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