Governor Strickland has commuted Keith's death sentence!

[nofurylike]

commuted to life without parole, but people still fighting for his exoneration.

article:

Strickland commutes death row inmate's sentence to life without parole
Thursday, September 2, 2010

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/09/02/keith-clemency.html?sid=101

statement from Governor:

http://governor.ohio.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=1778


email from Amnesty International:

We've got some great news. Earlier today, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland announced that he has commuted the death sentence of Kevin Keith. In no small way, this was because of action that you took. Thank you! Please read on for more details and to take action to thank Governor Strickland.

In response to alerts sent by NCADP and many others over the past weeks, more than 25,000 people from Ohio and around the country signed online petitions in support of Mr. Keith. In the last two weeks alone, more than 7,000 people sent letters to Governor Strickland urging him to grant clemency. Kevin Keith supporters included a bipartisan group of 31 former judges and prosecutors, current and former state legislators, former Republican Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, the national Innocence Network, more than 100 Ohio faith leaders and organizations, and many others. Along with you, they were instrumental in helping to persuade Governor Strickland to grant clemency.

NCADP especially congratulates and thanks Keith's legal team, who included Rachel Troutman, Andrew King, Tyson Fleming, John Q. Lewis and David Mills and many others. Their work to fully exonerate Mr. Keith continues.

As they said today, "…Governor Strickland recognized that questions remain regarding whether Kevin Keith is, in fact, guilty. This means our work is unfinished. … The same compelling reasons that support Governor Strickland's actions today warrant a new, fair trial for Mr. Keith, including the existence of newly discovered evidence, the revelation of evidence withheld by the State, and the development of new science behind eyewitness identification, all of which point to Mr. Keith's innocence. …

"We will continue our fight to obtain the relief Mr. Keith deserves, and we are grateful for the continuing support of an overwhelming number of Ohio citizens from diverse backgrounds that continue to support our position."

It is important to note that Mr. Keith was scheduled to be executed later this month for the murders of Marichell, Marchae and Linda Chatman. Although we celebrate that Mr. Keith will not be killed and may ultimately be exonerated, we recognize that these were horrible murders and we urge you to keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

If you'd like to thank Governor Strickland for doing the right thing by commuting this sentence, please write a brief note and send it in the postal mail to:

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6108

-snip-

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PLEASE write thanks, or call thanks!


peace and solidarity

[nofurylike]

1. THANK YOU to ALL who acted on this!! nt

[realisticphish]

2. Good news