Dear Supporters:
With little surprise, thirty U.S. legislators and three U.S. Senators, known for their far-left views, signed an October 6, 2023 letter to President Biden calling for the release of the convicted brutal murderer, Leonard Peltier.[1]
Even less surprising, they demonstrate a fundamental lack of knowledge of the facts surrounding the brutal murder of FBI Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams. The letter provides more of the same perpetuated Peltier myth, folklore and easily challenged misinformation.
Peltier was undoubtedly excited to read this letter but missed the obvious point; the pathetically minor support it offered. Six percent (6.17%) of the entire U.S. Congress is hardly a ringing endorsement. They call for clemency (that he could never deserve), commutation (not quite adding up to two consecutive life sentences plus an additional seven years for an armed prison escape) or a compassionate release that hardly breaches the depth of his unprovoked attack and brutal slaying of two already severely wounded human beings.[2] Peltier is old and has health issues. Nonetheless, he showed none of the compassion for his victims that he now demands for himself. Both Jack and Ron are still dead, robbed of their ability to grow old, while Peltier remains as remorseless as ever.
This collectivist herd offers little support for their cause by even mentioning the now deceased World War II hero and highly respected federal court of appeals jurist, Gerald Heaney. They failed to understand the significance of Judge Heaney’s involvement in the Peltier matter.
Yes, Judge Heaney, based on his own personal feelings concerning the history of Native Americans, called for some compassion. However, Judge Heaney, who twice authored Peltier appellate decisions, along with many other federal judges, had no difficulty identifying Peltier’s guilt and fate, based on facts and the law, not emotions.
The Thirty-three failed miserably to recognize a very obvious fact that the most critical decision in the entire Peltier saga was authored, with a unanimous panel, by none other than Judge Heaney.[3] Judge Heaney played a critical role in Peltier’s appellate history, a history where none of well-over two-dozen appeals altered his conviction or sentence.[4]
This letter provides the President with an issue that has been through the courts and thoroughly dismissed; “…(Peltier) is serving two life sentences in a maximum-security prison for Aiding and Abetting.” For Aiding and Abetting? Well, of course, because it suits their purpose, they only offer half the facts and a not so minor detail of his conviction.
Among many other appellate decisions, even Peltier’s initial Direct Appeal clearly stated, “After a twenty-five-day trial, Peltier was convicted by a jury of both counts of first-degree murder.”[5]
The issue of Aiding and Abetting was argued by Peltier attorneys and resulted in a final decision by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on July 7, 1993: “Peltier’s arguments fail because their underlying premises are fatally flawed. The government tried the case on alternative theories; it asserted that Peltier personally killed the agents at point blank range, but that if he had not done so, then he was equally guilty of the murder as an aider and abettor.”[6] Exactly what part of “fatally flawed” do the Thirty-three not comprehend, or more precisely, why they elected to keep it hidden and buried under years of Peltier myth and folklore? [7]
Their letter also fails to offer the President proper context by quoting a ‘benign’ statement from former U.S. Attorney James Reynolds; “his conviction and continued incarceration is a testament to a time and system of justice that no longer has a place in our society.” The signers obviously avoided quoting some of Reynolds provably false and outrageous public statements.
For some reason, known only to Reynolds, he completely misrepresented his authority and involvement regarding the prosecution of Leonard Peltier. Reynolds’ public statements are a gross misstatement of the record. Reynolds contributed nothing what-so-ever to what went into the final brief on Direct Appeal or into any of the subsequent government briefs resisting Peltier’s numerous attempts to obtain Post Conviction Relief (taken from a direct quote). [8]Reynolds, despite his previous position, is devoid of any credibility. Nonetheless, the Thirty-three have little conscience when it comes to providing the whole truth.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams” [9]
Ed Woods
cc:
33-Signatories of the October 6, 2023 letter
1-President Joseph Biden, Washington, DC (In letter form)
1-U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland, Washington, DC (In letter form)
1-U.S. Pardon Attorney, Honorable Elisabeth G. Oyer, Washington DC (In letter form)
1-Hon. Christopher Wray, Director, FBI, Washington, DC (In letter form)
[1] https://democrats-naturalresources.house.gov/imo/media/doc/moc_letter_to_president_biden_re_leonard_peltier.pdf
(Last accessed 10/17/2023)
[2] “Unprovoked?” During a publicly broadcast interview, Peltier’s most recent attorney, Kevin Sharp, made a materially false statement to support his pro bono client. Contrary to Sharp’s public claim, Agents Coler and Williams were subjected to an unprovoked attack by Peltier and other American Indian Movement cowards. The trial record, testimony, evidence and the federal Courts of Appeal clearly demonstrate that Sharp, like so many others, is willing to fabricate and promote the Peltier myth. It was clearly proven that there was an eyewitness to the initial unprovoked attack; Agent Ronald Williams.
http://wwwnoparolepeltiercom-justice.blogspot.com/2023/04/peltier-sharps-disinformation4.html
[3] 8th Circuit Court of Appeals decision 9/11/86: https://www.noparolepeltier.com/800.html
[4] Judge Heaney: A thorough review of his involvement in the Peltier matter:
http://wwwnoparolepeltiercom-justice.blogspot.com/2017/10/peltier-heaney-factor.html
[5] 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, Direct Appeal, decision 9/14/78: https://www.noparolepeltier.com/585.html
[6] 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, decision 7/7/93: https://www.noparolepeltier.com/997.html
[7] Peltier wanted poster: another early example of charges. Indicted 11/25/75 for ‘murder’ and ‘aiding and abetting.’ https://www.noparolepeltier.com/images/warrant.gif
[8] Two of six previous Blogs castigating James Reynolds’ erroneous pubic statements. See the ‘James Reynolds’ portions of the following:
[9] The Thirty-three letter quotes retired FBI Agent Coleen Rowley. Rowley had no personal involvement in the Peltier matter, the RESMURS, Reservation Murders investigation, Peltier’s trial and conviction or the multiple appeals that followed. She is entitled to her opinion, no matter how irrelevant it may be.
