Thursday, July 11, 2013

Bobby Jindal - Please Release Herman Wallace of the Angola 3 to compassionate release

Herman Wallace shouldn't have to die behind bars.  

Herman is 71 years old and has advanced liver cancer. He and fellow prisoner Albert Woodfox have been held in solitary confinement longer than anyone else in modern U.S. history. The men have spent the past 41 years of their lives alone in tiny cells for 23 hours a day, deprived of any meaningful human interaction.

No human being deserves to live like this. Herman Wallace should not die alone.

Why wouldn't Louisiana officials simply release an elderly prisoner with advanced cancer on humanitarian grounds? Evidence suggests that it is in part because Herman, Albert, and King, 3 black panthers dared to organize and speak out against inhumane treatment and racial segregation inside one of United States' most brutal prisons, Angola.

Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox are the two imprisoned members of the ‘Angola 3', three young black men who were thrown in solitary confinement after working against continued segregation, systematic corruption, and grave abuses in the infamous Angola prison. Originally imprisoned for unrelated cases of armed robbery, Herman and Albert were later convicted for the murder of a prison guard in 1972. However, no physical evidence links either man to the murder. In fact, King was 150 miles away in another prison when the murder happened.

In the decades since Herman and Albert's conviction, numerous legal concerns have risen to the surface from the racially charged underbelly of the U.S. prison system. These are just a few glaring flaws we documented in our report ‘100 Years in Solitary: The 'Angola 3' and their Fight for Justice' :


  • DNA evidence that might have established the men's innocence was somehow "lost"
  • Outcomes were based on questionable inmate testimony
  • Prison officials bribed the main eyewitness
  • One witness later retracted his testimony
  • The prison guards widow is convinced these men were set up and her husbands murderers were never identify. She as well has worked for years for their release.
Prison authorities have broken their own policies to justify Herman's continued incarceration in harsh and inhumane conditions. After decades in these conditions, a highly questionable conviction that continues to be challenged by the courts and the now a tragic prognosis of terminal cancer, the next step seems all too clear: Herman Wallace should be released.

Video here from msnbc just days ago (sorry I could not embed it)
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/46979745/vp/52407812#52407812

To quote from this clip filmed in New Orleans with Herman’s attorney
Herman Wallace, one of the remaining two imprisoned members of the Angola 3, has been diagnosed with liver cancer. Wallace’s attorney believes it is time for him to be let out of solitary confinement and more importantly receive a compassionate release.

Attorney Nick Trenticosta detailed his client’s condition on Saturday’s Melissa Harris-Perry. “He’s lost about 55 pounds in four months, and he is being treated completely negligently. I would say he’s being killed through intentional neglect.”

Currently 71 years old, Wallace has been in solitary confinement for more than 41 years for his 1972 conviction in the murder of prison guard Brent Miller. It is a conviction that he and the other members of the Angola 3 have fought because they have maintained their innocence in the brutal stabbing.
Given his critical diagnosis, his lawyers and organizations like Amnesty International are pushing for a compassionate release.

Asked whether he thought there was any chance that Wallace would receive a compassionate release, Trenticosta’s response was telling. “I don’t think so, and part of the reason is the state of Louisiana in the past six years has spent $6 million dollars in lawyer fees to keep a 71-year-old man in solitary confinement.”

PBS recently premiered “Herman’s House” about the relationship between Herman Wallace and artist Jackie Surell who learned about Herman from a class on solitary confinement where Robert King, the only release member of the Angola 3 was lecturing. Ironically, it was not premiered in north Louisiana with the rest of the country. You can stream this documentary here.

http://www.pbs.org/pov/hermanshouse/...p#.UdyJuW2tqJY

Here is the trailer
 http://hermanshousethefilm.com/


Buddy Caldwell, the attorney general involved in this case has stated he will not release Herman and Albert because, “If he releases these men, he will have to release the others” but in the same breath states they were never in solitary confinement.

Please help us contact the governor of Louisiana and ask him to release Herman on compassionate release. He doesn’t have much time left. You can use this form to do it.

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/sit...ce=W0000ACFACE

Or write to Jindal via the Louisiana state website
http://www.gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=f...email_governor

We also need to follow this link and join the movement here
http://hermanshouse.org/get-involved/
http://www.nrcat.org/torture-in-us-p...tary-statement

Another documentary that tells the complete story to date on the Angola 3 is
"In the Land of the Free" narrated by Samual Jackson.  The trailer is here
http://youtu.be/Zkr03dYtlQQ

And Attorney General Caldwell is correct. If Albert and Herman are released from long term solitary confinement in Louisiana, it could set a precedent and hundreds of others in solitary will be released.

More information
One of the most comprehensive Angola 3 sites on the web
http://www.angola3.org/

Kings personal website
http://www.kingsfreelines.com/


In addition to concern for Herman Wallace, the worsening conditions of confinement for Albert Woodfox in David Wade Correctional Center, near the town of Homer in Louisiana.
For approximately two months, Woodfox has been subjected to additional punitive measures, including strip-searches each time he leaves or enters his cell, being escorted in ankle and wrist restraints, restricted phone access, and being limited to non-contact visits through a perforated metal screen. Temperatures in the cells are reportedly extremely high, regularly reaching up to 38 degrees Celsius, a serious health risk for inmates confined to their cells for up to 23 hours a day. These risks are even greater in the case of the elderly or infirm, as their bodies are unable to adjust to the heat as quickly as those of healthy, younger adults.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Peanut Butter Bar
No-Stick Cooking Spray

1 (18.25 ounce) package Butter Cake Cake Mix
1 cup organic Peanut Butter
1/2 cup water
1 large egg

Peanut Butter/Chocolate icing
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 tablespoons almond milk

Directions
Peanut Butter Bar
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 13 x 9-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine cake mix, 1 cup peanut butter, water and egg on low speed, mixing 2 minutes on medium speed. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and light golden brown. Cool completely.

Icing

Mix all ingredients together until blended. Spread over cooled bars

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Key Lime cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon cake mix
1 box (4-serving size) lime-flavored gelatin
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup Key lime juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 or 3 drops green food color, if desired

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons Key lime juice

Frosting
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Grated lime peel, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, beat cupcake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.

Bake 19 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. With toothpick or wooden skewer, pierce tops of cupcakes in several places.

In small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and enough of the 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice until glaze is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle and spread glaze over cupcakes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in vanilla and 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar until mixed; beat on medium speed until fluffy. Frost cupcakes, mounding and swirling frosting in center. Garnish with lime peel. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Friday, February 15, 2013

"8" at River City Repertory February 17th- 7:30pm



"8" premiered in L.A. with a star-studded cast that included supporters of marriage equality like Brad Pitt and George Clooney.  The Shreveport performance will feature local celebrities.On February 17th at 7:30 pm at the Karpeles Museum, River City Repertory Theatre will do a 1-night only performance of "8", the play based on the Prop 8 trial. 

 Tickets can be purchased by calling 318-868-5888 daily from 11-4. All seats are $30. Profits go to the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

AFER is the nonprofit that spearheaded the court challenge to Prop 8, which took away the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. This court challenge drew lots of attention because our side (proponents of marriage equality) had as its legal representation the dream team of liberal icon David Boies and conservative icon Ted Olson, who were on opposing sides in the landmark Bush v. Gore which decided the 2000 election. Boies and Olson were successful and Prop 8 was overturned. This court decision has been appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court which has agreed to hear the appeal.

Why "8"

Uncover the truth about marriage for gay and lesbian Americans. "8"-a new play by Academy-award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk, J. Edgar)-demystifies the debate around marriage equality by chronicling the landmark trial of Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Hollingsworth v. Perry). Learn about the historical context of marriage from expert testimony. See the human cost of discrimination. Uncover the arguments used to justify bans on marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Using the actual court transcripts from the landmark federal trial of California's Prop. 8 and first-hand interviews, "8" shows both sides of the debate in a moving 90-minute play.


See video from the original play at AFER's web site:   http://www.8theplay.com/  and at River City Repertory Theatre's web site:  http://www.rivercityrep.org

The Rep is being supported by P.A.C.E. and the ACLU of Louisiana