Saturday, August 14, 2010

PELTIER IN COURT(S): SILLY & VERY SERIOUS

Dear Supporters:

Yesterday, Friday the 13th was Leonard Peltier’s day in court, or according to the Peltier Blog, “Common Law Court, that is.” A court that by the LPDOC’s own admission has no jurisdiction over anyone, anywhere and lacks authority to do nothing more than pretend that it’s to be taken seriously. It’s like kids playing in the schoolyard (which will be the topic of an upcoming NPPA Blog).

In a brief email exchange Patricia Johnson-Holm Shupe (Chief Justice ;-), indicated that “The jury decision is that Peltier should be immediately released and to proceed with a Grand Jury to bring indictments on those involved, on multiple charges.” (Can anyone hear the theme song of the Twilight Zone playing in the background?)

At some point (or perhaps not), Peltier leadership and supporters will realize that trivializing Peltier in such a way renders his protestations of innocence all the more silly to everyone, especially the Native American public.

However, August 12th, one month shy of Peltier’s 66th birthday, was truly his bad luck day in court.

According to the Associated Press, Circuit Judge John Delaney will allow prior statements made by Peltier, bragging about the murder of Jack Coler and Ron Williams and threats by Peltier to AIM member Anna Mae Aquash, in the upcoming November trial of John Graham (who is accused of raping and murdering Anna Mae), and Thelma Rios for complicity in her death.

“These motives clearly are relevant and probative to the major theory of the state’s case—that an ‘order’ for Aquash’s murder was issued by members of AIM,” Judge Delaney wrote.

And what’s the significance of all this for Lewisburg inmate #89637-132?

What it means is that the final chapter in the brutal rape and murder of AIM member and suspected informant Anna Mae Aquash has yet to be written and some of that may still lead to the bars of Peltier’s cell.

Understandably, Peltier tried to distance himself very early from the Aquash murder (http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#right) and claimed that the 2004 conviction of Arlo Looking Cloud was more of a government witch hunt against his efforts for parole than finding justice.

Aside from the fact that his next parole reconsideration hearing isn’t until July 2024 (his self-imposed popularity is at an all-time low; Native America has rejected the abuses of AIM and the destruction it caused; that this administration will pay him little mind and scoff at his claims of innocence—they can read the record themselves), Peltier is scared to death of the entire Aquash matter. He knows there are those out there who know the whole story and who was also involved in ordering her death and helping to facilitate her murder, and hopefully the truth will be told one day.

Anna Mae and her family deserve nothing less.

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods