SCHEDULED EXECUTION: SEPTEMBER 14 of Innocent Woman

[hiley]

SCHEDULED EXECUTION: SEPTEMBER 14
*** URGENT ***
SAVE FRANCES

No more victims. PLEASE!
Letter to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles from the parents of Adrian, grandparents of Alton and Farrah:
"Frances is part of our family."
http://www.freefrances.org/newton-letter-louises-board.rtf
snip---
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Executive Clemency Section
P.O. Box 13401, Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711

Dear Board:

Our names are Tom and Virginia Louis. We are the parents of Adrian Newton and the grandparents of Alton and Farrah Newton. We are writing to you to urge you to exercise your powers as Board members to recommend to Governor Perry that he commute Frances Newton’s sentence to life. We do not wish to see her executed on September 14, 2005.

Frances is part of our family. We have maintained contact with her through all these years. She and our son were together for seven years, and during that time, we were a big, happy family. We would go on outings to the beach, to the pool, to barbecues and all kinds of fun stuff. Losing Adrian and the kids suddenly was devastating to us. We experienced all the pain associated with their loss and went through the grieving process. We do not want to go through that again with Frances. We already lost three family members. If Frances is executed, she would be the fourth. We don’t want to lose another family member.

We never wanted to see Frances get executed. When the trial occurred, nobody from the District Attorney’s Office ever asked for our opinion. We were willing to testify on Frances’
snip---
http://www.freefrances.org/newton-letter-louises-board.rtf
NOW: e-mail multiple selected elected officials at ONCE !!!
http://www.freefrances.org/

I asked DU to help stop her execution before and many wrote and called Gov. Perry, please help again.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4458299&mesg_id=4458299
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/25/1342238
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0912-08.htm

[hiley]

1. Learn more and please contact Gov. Perry and others

at the web site..
You may hear
Audio/Video Files:

http://www.freefrances.org/Materials.htm#multimedia

National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Do not execute Frances Newton!
TEXAS

Sept. 14, 2005

The state of Texas is scheduled to execute Frances Newton on Sept. 14th for the April 1987 murders of her husband, Adrian Newton and children Alton and Farah Newton in Harris County. If executed, Newton would be the first African-American woman Texas has put to death since the state resumed executions in 1982.

Newton's case embodies core problems with the death penalty in the United States in general and in Texas in particular. Her trial counsel was egregiously incompetent, she has a strong innocence claim and her conviction rested in large part on the results of ballistics testing conducted by the now-discredited Houston Police Department's crime lab.

Furthermore, Newton has been denied effective representation at nearly every stage of her appeal and consequently, her case has never been thoroughly or independently investigated. In fact, on the very day her trial began, her attorney, Ron Mock, admitted that he could not provide the name of a single witness with whom he had spoken. Mock is well known in Texas death penalty circles; he has had more clients sent to death row than any other lawyer. Many of his former clients have been executed and he is no longer assigned death penalty cases because of his astonishingly abysmal record as an attorney.

snip---
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1132

[hiley]

2. I know this pic is huge but please look into Frances's Face

and help her as much as possible!

[hiley]

3. ABA President Calls for Stay of Texas Woman's Execution

LETTER OF ABA PRESIDENT MICHAEL GRECO TO TEXAS GOVERNOR RICK PERRY AND THE PARDONS BOARD CONCERNING THE UPCOMING EXECUTION OF FRANCES NEWTON

August 31, 2005

BY FAX: [phone]
The Honorable Rick Perry
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428

BY FAX: [phone]
Chairwoman Rissie Owens
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Executive Clemency Unit
Capital Section
P.O. Box 13401
Austin, Texas 78711

Re: Francis Newton

Dear Governor Perry and Chairwoman Owens:

As President of the American Bar Association, I write to express the concern of the ABA about the case of Francis Newton, an African-American woman who is scheduled to be executed on September 14, 2005. Our concern arises from our understanding that arguably significant and compelling new evidence regarding Ms. Newton's case has not yet been evaluated by Texas courts. This new evidence includes forensic evidence and evidence of a lack of motive, both of which are made more serious by Ms. Newton's continuing and unwavering claim of innocence.

We are also concerned that this evidence was not discovered earlier because of the negligence of her appointed lawyer, Ron Mock. Several months after Mr. Mock's appointment, Ms. Newton wrote a letter to the trial judge expressing concern that no investigation of her case was occurring. On the day of trial, Mr. Mock could not name one witness he had interviewed. He did no investigation whatsoever, and therefore, did not place before the jury
the evidence that now casts doubt on Ms. Newton's involvement in this crime.

Mr. Mock was later barred from handling capital cases.

Longstanding ABA policy states the importance of providing all criminal defendants with qualified, competent counsel and protecting the innocent from wrongful execution. An abundance of caution should be exercised whenever there is doubt. Last December, you agreed to a 120 day delay of Ms. Newton's execution because you were persuaded that such doubt existed.

snip--
http://www.freefrances.org/AmerBarAssn_20050831.htm

AUDIO & VIDEO FILES ONLINE

PHOTO by Sofia in Austin, 27 August 2005

Frances Newton's mother, Jewel Nelms
Watch the Interviews with Frances and act.
http://www.freefrances.org/
AUDIO & VIDEO FILES ONLINE
Audio files of Local News at 5:30 radio programs on KPFT 90.1 FM
August 2, 2005.mp3
August 25, 2005.mp3 - includes press conference
August 31, 2005.mp3 - includes Houston City Council words

Video files (sorry for lack of descriptions) -- 38 MB each
frances.wmv
frances2.wmv
http://www.freefrances.org/Materials.htm#multimedia

[bribri16]

6. Kicked! and kicked. n/t

[Flying Dream Blues]

13. Done and Kick! Please watch the videos... nt

[nofurylike]

27. yes! i can not believe they ignore so many who appeal to them!!! this is

absolutely insane!!!

IT IS MURDER!!

unbearable....

please, all, keep on


peace

[nofurylike]

55. kick. everyone please call the governor!

512 463 2000

thank you


peace

[hiley]

4. a

kick .

[RepublicanElephant]

5. geez...

...wonder how john roberts would react to this case.

[Beaverhausen]

7. another kick

[ikojo]

8. This breaks my heart...it could be any one of us who do

not come from families who are able to mortgage the house in order to afford good
counsel. If she came from a family with money she would not be on death row and facing execution.

[I Have A Dream]

9. This is just so very sad. Done & recommended. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

10. Someone needs to parallel this to the Katrina story

and the overt racism that played key in both.
Granted...it's emotional blackmail...but if I were her attorney I would be on every news show and talk show telling anyone who would listen that the Republicans don't think twice about killing innocent black people.
In the aftermath of Katrina...I think racism would do the pugs in.

[theHandpuppet]

11. Done and kicked!

Please keep this kicked!

[Gregorian]

12. Done.......What the hell is wrong with our judicial system!

[quiet.american]

14. Done.

Some stories just leave one breathless and speechless in the immenseness of their tragedy. This is one of them.

[fortyfeetunder]

15. Keep this kicked for the night shift

If Frances Newton is executed, it only continues to justify we have no justice, especially for poor people of color....

:kick:

[GliderGuider]

16. Kick

[kimpossible]

17. Kicking for the last few hours before it's too late

And done.

Emailed and faxed the governor through this link:
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1132

[hiley]

53. thank you I emailed and faxed Gov.Perry again just now.

You can call and ask Gov. Perry for a 30 day stay of execution
512-463-2000.

[hiley]

18. ...

:cry:

[nonconformist]

19. Kick. Time is of the essence here. nt

[veness]

20. Done. n/t

[nofurylike]

21. thank you, hiley! sorry i didn't see this thread. but we do need all the

help possible.

please keep on!


peace!

[hiley]

48. nofurylike please push your thread too

thank you for trying to get the word out.
Frances must not be executed.

[nofurylike]

61. thank you! laura flanders just told of frances on aar covering for randi.

i'm hoping she gave gov's number....

keep on, hiley


peace

[sweet_cobun]

22. Done!

[Hissyspit]

23. kick

[spuddonna]

24. Done and kick! n/t

[nofurylike]

25. kick. thank you hiley! eom

[hiley]

51. Thank you nofurylike we need help

and I loved it when I found your thread last night, just wanted people to hear the audio and see Frances. After 17 years on Death Row and she is still so kind and sweet. It says a lot about who she really is.
hiley:pals:

[nofurylike]

26. kick. the photos and videos are so moving, hiley. Free Frances!!! eom

[entanglement]

28. Oh, she's Black, why didn't you tell me, it would have saved

me the trouble of clicking on this thread!

:sarcasm:

[nofurylike]

29. kick. please pass the word, and call gov perry today!! eom

[ladylibertee]

30. Pisses me off dude. I swear.

[nofurylike]

31. kick. please pass this on and ask others to write and call. eom

[Rainscents]

32. Please God, help the innocent woman from being execute.

God will punish Governor Perry for killing this woman!

[nofurylike]

33. kick. please act! eom

[nofurylike]

34. kick. please stay on this all day, anyone who can! write. call. eom

[Sgent]

35. Call the state board of pardon's

the govenor (Perry) only has the power to delay the sentance by 30 days. He cannot commute it.

[crispini]

36. kick

:kick:

[laylah]

37. done and kicked!

[NVMojo]

38. KICK!

someone must be getting their rocks off inside that system ...this is sick!

[theHandpuppet]

39. Kicking for the morning crowd

Time is running out! Please act!

[RepublicanElephant]

40. what time today is this state-sponsored murder scheduled?

?

[Synnical]

42. 6PM

http://www.freefrances.org/Pray20050914.htm

<snip>

Immediately following, supporters of Frances Newton will caravan to Huntsville for the 6 p.m. scheduled execution time of Frances Newton.

[coffeenap]

41. kick

[in_cog_ni_to]

43. Done! What's she in prison for?

Kick for Frances!

[TNOE]

44. Would you mind

for those of us not familiar with this case and without time to read links - can you summarize this case?

[RepublicanElephant]

45. see posts #1 & 3

.

[TNOE]

46. I was looking for a little bit more

I see her husband & children are dead and she had poor counsel (BIG SURPRISE THERE! NOT) - but just wanted more details - if known.

[hiley]

50. She is in prison convicted of murder of her husband

and children, she is innocent. Her Public Defender (pretender) was Ron Mock. Shameful Attorney.

snip from todays DemocracyNow!
AMY GOODMAN: Congressmember Jackson Lee, what is the lie? What is the alternative scenario? She was convicted of --

REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE: In essence, it is the fact that the weapon that was presented at the time of the presentation of her case is the only weapon or that there is not a confusion inasmuch as it is said multiple weapons have now been found.

The other one is the motive, which is to suggest that she would have received an insurance benefit, and she orchestrated it. We have come to understand that the insurance was sold to her, she did not ask for it, and it might not have gone to her anyhow. Those are the kind of facts that need to come out, but those are the facts, motive, monetary motive, to kill your children and your husband, a monetary motive? Because we all know that her children were under the age of majority. In that instance, those dollars would have come to the guardian parent. That would have been her. Why then kill the children? And so you don't have the absolute fact of why a mother would have killed both the spouse and the children based upon insurance proceeds. Those are the lies that have consistently plagued this case.

The other thing that I would say, why would the board – which I've worked with extensively – just be a tracking device for a single point of view. As far as I'm concerned, it appears -- and I will be calling them today, and I don't know how welcoming I'll be received – why they could not reconsider their decision to simply allow this extension. Now many people are saying she had a 120-day extension. There is no extension too long to ensure that the person who is ultimately executed, if you believe in that, is not the person who is guilty of the crime. In this instance, there is too much evidence to suggest that Frances Newton is not. It is time now to give her justice and to give her piece of mind to give this stay.

snip---
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/14/1348217

ABA President Calls for Stay of Texas Woman's Execution

LETTER OF ABA PRESIDENT MICHAEL GRECO TO TEXAS GOVERNOR RICK PERRY AND THE PARDONS BOARD CONCERNING THE UPCOMING EXECUTION OF FRANCES NEWTON

August 31, 2005

BY FAX: [phone]
The Honorable Rick Perry
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428

BY FAX: [phone]
Chairwoman Rissie Owens
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Executive Clemency Unit
Capital Section
P.O. Box 13401
Austin, Texas 78711

Re: Francis Newton

Dear Governor Perry and Chairwoman Owens:

As President of the American Bar Association, I write to express the concern of the ABA about the case of Francis Newton, an African-American woman who is scheduled to be executed on September 14, 2005. Our concern arises from our understanding that arguably significant and compelling new evidence regarding Ms. Newton's case has not yet been evaluated by Texas courts. This new evidence includes forensic evidence and evidence of a lack of motive, both of which are made more serious by Ms. Newton's continuing and unwavering claim of innocence.

We are also concerned that this evidence was not discovered earlier because of the negligence of her appointed lawyer, Ron Mock. Several months after Mr. Mock's appointment, Ms. Newton wrote a letter to the trial judge expressing concern that no investigation of her case was occurring. On the day of trial, Mr. Mock could not name one witness he had interviewed. He did no investigation whatsoever, and therefore, did not place before the jury
the evidence that now casts doubt on Ms. Newton's involvement in this crime.

Mr. Mock was later barred from handling capital cases.

Longstanding ABA policy states the importance of providing all criminal defendants with qualified, competent counsel and protecting the innocent from wrongful execution. An abundance of caution should be exercised whenever there is doubt. Last December, you agreed to a 120 day delay of Ms. Newton's execution because you were persuaded that such doubt existed.

Some testing was impossible because the evidence had been contaminated. More testing has been requested and compelling new evidence has been discovered since December.

We are not in a position to comment on the merits of the new evidence. That is a role for officials in your state. But we believe that carrying out the execution of Francis Newton without a full review of this new evidence is inconsistent with principles of fundamental fairness and due process. Because reasonable doubt exists, we urge you to vacate her execution date so that the newly discovered evidence can be tested and properly evaluated by Texas courts.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully yours,

Michael S. Greco
President
American Bar Association

---

Source : Death Penalty Information Center

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?&did=1550

http://www.freefrances.org/AmerBarAssn_20050831.htm

[TNOE]

52. Thank you

that was very enlightening and just what I wanted to know.

[hiley]

54. your welcome

Wednesday, September 14th, 2005
Texas Death Row Prisoner Scheduled to Die Today: Lawyers Seek Last-Minute Stay
AMY GOODMAN: We're joined on the phone by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and also long-time death penalty activist Gloria Rubac. Gloria Rubac, you co-founded the website, Freefrances.org. Why are you calling for the stay of her execution? Frances Newton, convicted of killing her husband and two kids.

GLORIA RUBAC: We're calling for a stay, Amy, because there are so many unanswered questions in her case. We're calling for a stay because she had one of the worst lawyers that Harris County has appointed. He has sent 16 people to death row, including Shaka Sankofa. Frances is one of four that are still alive. And we are calling for a stay because just this summer, the District Attorney admitted on camera that there were more than one gun recovered from this crime, and they have denied this for 18 years. So, given the lack of representation, the prosecutorial misconduct, you can't execute people when there's these doubts. And also, the Houston police crime lab, which has been discredited, processed evidence in her case.

snip---
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/14/1348217

[coffeenap]

47. Rep. Jackson Lee was just on the floor asking for support for her. nt

[hiley]

49. Sheila Jackson Lee is on DemocracyNow!

Speaking about Frances and working with Congressman John Conyers and others.

Wednesday, September 14th, 2005
Texas Death Row Prisoner Scheduled to Die Today: Lawyers Seek Last-Minute Stay

Listen to Segment || Download Show mp3
Watch 128k stream Watch 256k stream Read Transcript
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/14/1348217

Frances Newton, death row prisoner in Texas, is scheduled to be executed later today but lawyers are seeking a last-minute stay on her execution. We speak to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D - Texas) and an anti-death penalty activist about the case.
In Texas, lawyers for death row prisoner Frances Newton are seeking a last-minute stay on her execution. She is scheduled to be killed later today. On Tuesday Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee held a press conference to urge Governor Rick Perry to stay the execution. On Monday one of the state's main newspapers – the Austin American Stateman – came out in support of a new trial for Newton. The paper's editors wrote “The public cannot be certain of her guilt, but she's going to die for the crime anyway. Newton was denied a basic requirement for a fair trial - a competent lawyer.” Newton would be the 13th prisoner executed this year in Texas. She will be the first African-American woman killed in Texas since Reconstruction.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, (D-Texas)
Gloria Rubac, longtime death penalty and co-founder of the website Freefrances.org.
snip---
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/14/1348217

[nofurylike]

56. thank you for this info, hiley. our heroes, again. keep on. eom

[hiley]

57. Congressional Black Caucus

are the best we have and I am continually proud of all of them especially Con.John Conyers.edit to say Sheila Jackson Lee, Stephanie Tubbs Jones,etc........

[nofurylike]

59. yes!! African Americans to the rescue, again!! eom

[hiley]

58. kick

please act!

[Catrina]

60. I just called the governor's office

and told the woman who answered that I had just read about this story and was horrified that anyone could be executed based on the kind of defense this woman had. I asked her to tell the governor he must stop this execution ~ that surely we are a better country than this!!

She said she would pass it along!

Laura Flanders, standing in for Randi Rhodes, is talking about the case now ~ I had not heard of it until today ~

Thank you for posting it ~

[hiley]

63. Your welcome

I posted about Frances a couple times before but du is huge.
DemocracyNow! has covered her case a few times as well and indymedia.
Thank you for caring.
hiley
don't forget to watch Galloway tonight..

[Catrina]

69. Will do

And thank you for caring so much ~ :-)

[mvd]

62. Wish I wasn't too late to recommend this

I was reading about her case, and it's exactly why I don't support the death penalty. While it is hard to go against it for the most henious murders, we would be better off without it. Plus, I don't believe the State should be killing.

[hiley]

64. I so agree with you

It is State sanctioned murder.
hiley

[nofurylike]

65. kick. please call the governor, folks!

512 463 2000

thank you


peace

[hiley]

66. Laura Flanders is going to give the number out

on Air America in just a minute!
Thank you Laura!
We love you..
hiley

[nofurylike]

70. yes, she did! and we do love her! thank you, hiley! eom

[nofurylike]

67. kick. keep on this everyone, please. eom

[bearfan454]

68. kick

[hiley]

71. Kick for more to see and

act!

[PatriotMom]

72. Another devil worshipping human sacrifice brought to you by

The * Administration

[KBlagburn]

73. kick

[nofurylike]

74. kick of affirmation and gratitude for all you have done, hiley. eom

[hiley]

75. thank you nofurylike

Frances does know we care about her..
I hope Govenor Perry will listen to the out cry!
thank you for caring so deeply..
two more hours

[nofurylike]

76. kick of energy to keep on what you are doing, hiley, and ALL! eom

[hiley]

77. Con.Sheila Jackson Lee

on Air America now..
512-463-2000

[KBlagburn]

78. kick

[Synnical]

79. Kick and a news item about the whole sad tale

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2005-09-09/pols_feature3.html

Without Evidence: Executing Frances Newton
Another Texas death row case marked by official carelessness, negligence, and intransigence

Unless the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Gov. Rick Perry act to stop it, on Sept. 14 Frances Newton will become only the third woman executed by the state of Texas since 1982, and the first black woman executed since the Civil War.

Unique in that historical sense, in other ways the Frances Newton case is painfully unexceptional. For there is no incontrovertible evidence against Newton, and the paltry evidence that does exist has been completely compromised. Moreover, her story is one more in a long line of Texas death row cases in which the prosecutions were sloppy or dishonest, the defenses incompetent or negligent, and the constitutional guarantee of a fair trial was honored only in name.

[hiley]

81. thank you so much for posting

this article.
Over the last few months I have grown to love Frances for the sweet loving kind woman that she is. Gov. Perry has to stop this execution.
She is innocent and has been locked up for so long yet she is not bitter.
My heart breaks for her.
hiley

[nofurylike]

80. kick. please persist, folks!! did you hear rep jackson lee on laura's

show? doing randi's show.

she was amazing, as is laura!! they are fighting this!!!

thank you, all!!


peace

[hiley]

82. she was amazing and so strong

i am not, i am crying my eyes out as i type..
This is normally by tag line when it is on..

In such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, not to be on the side of the executioners. Albert Camus..

http://cason.seo-blog.org/

[nofurylike]

85. she was! your quote is so very perfect! yes!! crying too... eom

[nofurylike]

83. please keep this kicked to the top! full of IMPORTANT info on Frances! nt

[Pithlet]

84. This is an absolute travesty

No, that's not even strong enough. There are no words to describe what is going to happen to that woman.

I remember hearing about this case somewhere a long time ago, and thinking "Surely, she'll eventually be pardoned. They won't let it get to the point where they'll actually kill her". Oh, how absolutely naive I was.

This is reason number one, along with the hundreds of other reasons, that I'm against the death penalty. And, I note (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) the dearth of pro-death penalty advocates on this thread, which is usually the case when discussing cases like this.

I'm absolutely sick about it, and wish I believed in a God to pray to that could prevent it from happening.

[hiley]

86. almost 6p.m.

:cry:

[nofurylike]

87. with you. eom

[veness]

88. kick. n/t

[theHandpuppet]

89. Republican "culture of life" my ass!!!

Murderous hypocrites like Bush and Perry don't care about "life" unless your a fetus or brain dead.

If there is a god, I can only hope she's waiting to give these bastards their just rewards.

[hiley]

90. Good bye Frances Elaine Newton

peace, may you have peace and see your husband Adrian and your children Alton and Farrah.
We will clear your name one day..
hiley

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm

[nofurylike]

91. ...

:cry:

[hiley]

92. R.I.P. Frances Elaine Newton

[nofurylike]

93. perfect