Dear NPPA Supporters:
Ron would have celebrated his 64th birthday.
He would have been retired by now, perhaps pursuing a second career like many of us, or maybe enjoying his life with sports, hobbies, travel, and probably spoiling the heck out of his grandchildren, as most of us certainly do.
But none of that happened because of a chance encounter crossing paths with a host of American Indian Movement (AIM) cowards at Jumping Bull on Pine Ridge in the summer of ’75.
Peltier at the moment is complaining because he, again, couldn’t follow the rules and wound up in the hole for six months.
For that one time each day that he’s allowed an hour outside his cell and into the sunlight, perhaps Ron in looking down.
Ron, from what I’ve learned about him, probably would be benevolent and show Peltier and the others mercy.
I personally wouldn’t be that kind.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire William’s family and all of Ron’s friends and Bureau associates.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
No Parole Peltier Association
Founder
April 30, 2000
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Leonard gets his own room...
Dear Supporters:
Not quite the room he was planning on, and the LPDOC, as expected, is blaming it on prison authorities…No way Leonard would do anything to violate prison rules. Right? Of course not…
It’s been a few months since the last NPPA post but there’s really been nothing notable to report. Peltier is slowing slipping into the ether as more people have come to realize his scam and lies have gone on long enough. The Myth is eroding and the shine coming off the folklore. Pretty soon he’ll be nothing more than a footnote in the sordid past of the American Indian Movement.
(Really, sometimes I do miss Bob Robideau…he was an endless source of material.)
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
Not quite the room he was planning on, and the LPDOC, as expected, is blaming it on prison authorities…No way Leonard would do anything to violate prison rules. Right? Of course not…
It’s been a few months since the last NPPA post but there’s really been nothing notable to report. Peltier is slowing slipping into the ether as more people have come to realize his scam and lies have gone on long enough. The Myth is eroding and the shine coming off the folklore. Pretty soon he’ll be nothing more than a footnote in the sordid past of the American Indian Movement.
(Really, sometimes I do miss Bob Robideau…he was an endless source of material.)
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Peltier: I want my own room...
Dear Supporters:
One has to wonder, since the latest Peltier message was magically “launched into cyberspace by the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee,” (unsigned as usual): What were they thinking? Did anyone at the LPDOC (Betty Ann, Vivian, Pamela, Jean, Dorothy, Gina [curious that they’re all female]) give a moment’s thought to have supporters badger the Bureau of Prisons with such a silly and stupid request?
(Since there hasn’t been any comment on Peltier’s test results from last month then perhaps he’s not facing cancer on top of everything else…which is a good thing. If he did have pressing or life-threatening health issues the BOP would move him to an appropriate medical facility. Lewisburg will do just fine for now…except for the accommodations apparently.)
Imagine the horror? “Yesterday (March 24th), another prisoner was moved into Leonard’s cell.”
Almost since day one Peltier has viewed himself as an exceptional case, an allegedly privileged character—a wrongfully convicted political prisoner—or so the folklore and myth would have us believe. I have no independent knowledge but would imagine that Peltier (in addition to his armed escape from Lompoc), has been pretty much of a pain-in-the-tail to prison authorities for years.
But what happened to Peltier the tough guy?
Peltier’s a tough guy when he and others are shooting at two agents pinned down in an open field; he’s the tough guy participating in cold blooded murder, blowing away the faces of two wounded human beings; he’s a tough guy when he sticks a gun in a woman’s mouth and threatens her life; he’s the tough guy when he steals government property and makes a run for it (well maybe not that tough as a thief and fleeing felon).
But now he’s a crybaby because he has a cellmate?
Even John Gotti, a real tough guy and once the nation’s most feared crime boss, who no doubt had a lot of respect and support from many fellow inmates, was the victim of prison violence (beaten bloody it was reported). But the Teflon Don, unlike Peltier, was a stand-up guy and told prison doctors that he, “fell down.”
Great plan from the LPDOC, have all those Peltier supporters complain to the BOP. The BOP will receive hundreds, maybe thousands, even hundreds of thousands of emails and phone calls. Right? No, not really, probably only a dozen or so. Reports of Peltier’s support are greatly exaggerated.
Here’s a solution: Peltier doesn’t want a roommate, especially one who hasn’t read or believes all the fairytales about him, or if he did, could care less…so give Peltier his own room (cell) in…solitary.
“In the spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
NPPA
One has to wonder, since the latest Peltier message was magically “launched into cyberspace by the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee,” (unsigned as usual): What were they thinking? Did anyone at the LPDOC (Betty Ann, Vivian, Pamela, Jean, Dorothy, Gina [curious that they’re all female]) give a moment’s thought to have supporters badger the Bureau of Prisons with such a silly and stupid request?
(Since there hasn’t been any comment on Peltier’s test results from last month then perhaps he’s not facing cancer on top of everything else…which is a good thing. If he did have pressing or life-threatening health issues the BOP would move him to an appropriate medical facility. Lewisburg will do just fine for now…except for the accommodations apparently.)
Imagine the horror? “Yesterday (March 24th), another prisoner was moved into Leonard’s cell.”
Almost since day one Peltier has viewed himself as an exceptional case, an allegedly privileged character—a wrongfully convicted political prisoner—or so the folklore and myth would have us believe. I have no independent knowledge but would imagine that Peltier (in addition to his armed escape from Lompoc), has been pretty much of a pain-in-the-tail to prison authorities for years.
But what happened to Peltier the tough guy?
Peltier’s a tough guy when he and others are shooting at two agents pinned down in an open field; he’s the tough guy participating in cold blooded murder, blowing away the faces of two wounded human beings; he’s a tough guy when he sticks a gun in a woman’s mouth and threatens her life; he’s the tough guy when he steals government property and makes a run for it (well maybe not that tough as a thief and fleeing felon).
But now he’s a crybaby because he has a cellmate?
Even John Gotti, a real tough guy and once the nation’s most feared crime boss, who no doubt had a lot of respect and support from many fellow inmates, was the victim of prison violence (beaten bloody it was reported). But the Teflon Don, unlike Peltier, was a stand-up guy and told prison doctors that he, “fell down.”
Great plan from the LPDOC, have all those Peltier supporters complain to the BOP. The BOP will receive hundreds, maybe thousands, even hundreds of thousands of emails and phone calls. Right? No, not really, probably only a dozen or so. Reports of Peltier’s support are greatly exaggerated.
Here’s a solution: Peltier doesn’t want a roommate, especially one who hasn’t read or believes all the fairytales about him, or if he did, could care less…so give Peltier his own room (cell) in…solitary.
“In the spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
NPPA
Monday, February 7, 2011
"The Ten Points of Light"
Dear Supporters:
Peltier’s (the LPDOC’s) recent 2/1/11 newsletter “35 Years is (NOT) to Long” was interesting in part because they perhaps took some advice and posted the entire Peltier trial transcript on their website. But they did so at their own peril.
Aside from having the court decisions posted on the website from the beginning, the NPPA focused on the transcripts and provided a straightforward, unvarnished review of the “Critical Witnesses Against Peltier” (Editorial Essay #55: http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#critical Anderson, Brown, Draper and Long Visitor), including direct and cross-examination and opening and closing arguments. These were the critical witnesses the jury had to weigh most heavily…testimony that placed Peltier at the scene of his crimes. Interested researchers are invited to review the transcripts and the summaries and decide for themselves.
Now included on Peltier’s website is an interesting and compelling legal discussion (The Ten Points of Light), but—only to the uninformed, because none of this is new and includes irrelevant, erroneous and out-of-context material within their highlighted references (the Wounded Knee trials and the 10th Circuit decision for example); none of which address Peltier’s actual guilt. Bringing up…yet again…for instance, the 10/2/75 teletype (ballistics report) without…yet again…presenting the rest of the facts; the three-day evidentiary hearing and subsequent appeal, or pointing out that Peltier had his own ballistics expert in the courtroom but chose—not—to call him as a witness. If that teletype was really so compelling…why didn’t their own witness attack it?
Every one of the Ten-points-of-Light have been analyzed and explained in detail over the past decade by the NPPA, but just for another example, how about point #3? Number three begins ““The first appeal of Peltier’s conviction occurred in 1977 before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Donald Ross stated: “But can’t you see…that what happened happened in such a way that it gives some credence…” and #3 continues…
However, the first appeal to the 8th Circuit was rendered in 1978 (585 F.2nd 314, 1978 U.S. App. Decision, September 14, 1978, Decided {read the entire decision here: http://www.noparolepeltier.com/585.html}).
But would it come as a surprise that the alleged quote from the LPDOC’s Point #3, does not appear in that decision? It shouldn’t, and doesn’t…Peltier and the LPDOC are wont to continue the folklore. Whether they are deliberately disingenuous remains to be seen…but they have a track record that the myth is more important than the truth. The real record speaks for itself, and any oral arguments before the courts are the prelude to the ultimate and final published court decisions.
Would it come as another surprise that this very decision stated “Secondly, the direct and circumstantial evidence of Peltier’s guilt was strong…” (I.B.4).
It shouldn’t.
Notice too that the LPDOC has a habit of not taking ownership of its work product…presented, unsigned by amorphous, phantom and ill-informed authors hiding behind the LPDOC. Apparently they have little pride in their efforts.
Please utilize the NPPA search feature to remove the out-of-context spin…don’t take either side’s version…explore and make an informed decision based on the record, because here again, it is not just a curious but deliberate omission of facts by Peltier and the LPDOC. The legal issues have been litigated to death…there are no other avenues to pursue…they have been either waived or decided against Peltier’s interests…try as they may to manufacture more. If they expect the further FOIPA results to magically produce “a smoking gun” (certainly no pun intended), they are mistaken.
So, posting the trail transcripts (which is a good move) creates a problem for Peltier. For those die-hards the transcripts are irrelevant because they wouldn’t read them anyway (they would prefer the LPDOC CliffsNotes version), but for those who want to know what really happened during the trial and have the energy to critically review a fairly large volume of material, they would ultimately agree with the jury’s verdict.
But, of course, re-litigating is just an exercise because Peltier’s guilt is beyond any doubt. Please see http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#concise, and include the footnotes as well because those concerned are encouraged to research all the facts http://www.noparolepeltier.com/footnotes.pdf.
Re-litigating, or pretending that this is a viable option is just another way for Peltier to further demean an otherwise proud First American heritage. The vast majority of Native Americans see Peltier and AIM for what they really were, a genuine setback for native rights. That’s another reason why Peltier’s popularity has long since ebbed and he is in a constant mode of continuing to scam people that he’s in it for “his people.”
If Peltier had some courage he would not be afraid to post the finances, link to the NPPA and stop kicking this writer off the LPDOC mail list. The NPPA maintains three large lists, one of them certainly has a number of Peltier supporters, and that’s a good thing as well because no one has ever been removed from those lists. Besides, really, wouldn’t you think there are NPPA supporters on Peltier’s list and they forward the LPDOC material along anyway? But it’s a matter of principle…sorely lacking in the Peltier camp. So, LPDOC and Peltier, show some backbone and the strength of your own convictions (e.g. rhetoric) and come clean about the money you’ve taken in over the years and where it went and provide a link to the other side of the story…that’s what the NPPA did for your side almost eleven years ago.
The LPDOC’s Ten Points of Light—try as they may to create a diversion from the factual history of Peltier’s conviction—ignore the unquestioned basis of his continued actual and factual guilt. If there’s any doubt about that, just contact Mr. X. http://www.noparolepeltier.com/lie.html
Peltier now finds himself in the absurd position of the dog who, having caught the car he was so frantically chasing, has no idea what to do with it—so he looks around guiltily and then slinks away while he diminishes a proud Native American heritage in the process.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
Peltier’s (the LPDOC’s) recent 2/1/11 newsletter “35 Years is (NOT) to Long” was interesting in part because they perhaps took some advice and posted the entire Peltier trial transcript on their website. But they did so at their own peril.
Aside from having the court decisions posted on the website from the beginning, the NPPA focused on the transcripts and provided a straightforward, unvarnished review of the “Critical Witnesses Against Peltier” (Editorial Essay #55: http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#critical Anderson, Brown, Draper and Long Visitor), including direct and cross-examination and opening and closing arguments. These were the critical witnesses the jury had to weigh most heavily…testimony that placed Peltier at the scene of his crimes. Interested researchers are invited to review the transcripts and the summaries and decide for themselves.
Now included on Peltier’s website is an interesting and compelling legal discussion (The Ten Points of Light), but—only to the uninformed, because none of this is new and includes irrelevant, erroneous and out-of-context material within their highlighted references (the Wounded Knee trials and the 10th Circuit decision for example); none of which address Peltier’s actual guilt. Bringing up…yet again…for instance, the 10/2/75 teletype (ballistics report) without…yet again…presenting the rest of the facts; the three-day evidentiary hearing and subsequent appeal, or pointing out that Peltier had his own ballistics expert in the courtroom but chose—not—to call him as a witness. If that teletype was really so compelling…why didn’t their own witness attack it?
Every one of the Ten-points-of-Light have been analyzed and explained in detail over the past decade by the NPPA, but just for another example, how about point #3? Number three begins ““The first appeal of Peltier’s conviction occurred in 1977 before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Donald Ross stated: “But can’t you see…that what happened happened in such a way that it gives some credence…” and #3 continues…
However, the first appeal to the 8th Circuit was rendered in 1978 (585 F.2nd 314, 1978 U.S. App. Decision, September 14, 1978, Decided {read the entire decision here: http://www.noparolepeltier.com/585.html}).
But would it come as a surprise that the alleged quote from the LPDOC’s Point #3, does not appear in that decision? It shouldn’t, and doesn’t…Peltier and the LPDOC are wont to continue the folklore. Whether they are deliberately disingenuous remains to be seen…but they have a track record that the myth is more important than the truth. The real record speaks for itself, and any oral arguments before the courts are the prelude to the ultimate and final published court decisions.
Would it come as another surprise that this very decision stated “Secondly, the direct and circumstantial evidence of Peltier’s guilt was strong…” (I.B.4).
It shouldn’t.
Notice too that the LPDOC has a habit of not taking ownership of its work product…presented, unsigned by amorphous, phantom and ill-informed authors hiding behind the LPDOC. Apparently they have little pride in their efforts.
Please utilize the NPPA search feature to remove the out-of-context spin…don’t take either side’s version…explore and make an informed decision based on the record, because here again, it is not just a curious but deliberate omission of facts by Peltier and the LPDOC. The legal issues have been litigated to death…there are no other avenues to pursue…they have been either waived or decided against Peltier’s interests…try as they may to manufacture more. If they expect the further FOIPA results to magically produce “a smoking gun” (certainly no pun intended), they are mistaken.
So, posting the trail transcripts (which is a good move) creates a problem for Peltier. For those die-hards the transcripts are irrelevant because they wouldn’t read them anyway (they would prefer the LPDOC CliffsNotes version), but for those who want to know what really happened during the trial and have the energy to critically review a fairly large volume of material, they would ultimately agree with the jury’s verdict.
But, of course, re-litigating is just an exercise because Peltier’s guilt is beyond any doubt. Please see http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#concise, and include the footnotes as well because those concerned are encouraged to research all the facts http://www.noparolepeltier.com/footnotes.pdf.
Re-litigating, or pretending that this is a viable option is just another way for Peltier to further demean an otherwise proud First American heritage. The vast majority of Native Americans see Peltier and AIM for what they really were, a genuine setback for native rights. That’s another reason why Peltier’s popularity has long since ebbed and he is in a constant mode of continuing to scam people that he’s in it for “his people.”
If Peltier had some courage he would not be afraid to post the finances, link to the NPPA and stop kicking this writer off the LPDOC mail list. The NPPA maintains three large lists, one of them certainly has a number of Peltier supporters, and that’s a good thing as well because no one has ever been removed from those lists. Besides, really, wouldn’t you think there are NPPA supporters on Peltier’s list and they forward the LPDOC material along anyway? But it’s a matter of principle…sorely lacking in the Peltier camp. So, LPDOC and Peltier, show some backbone and the strength of your own convictions (e.g. rhetoric) and come clean about the money you’ve taken in over the years and where it went and provide a link to the other side of the story…that’s what the NPPA did for your side almost eleven years ago.
The LPDOC’s Ten Points of Light—try as they may to create a diversion from the factual history of Peltier’s conviction—ignore the unquestioned basis of his continued actual and factual guilt. If there’s any doubt about that, just contact Mr. X. http://www.noparolepeltier.com/lie.html
Peltier now finds himself in the absurd position of the dog who, having caught the car he was so frantically chasing, has no idea what to do with it—so he looks around guiltily and then slinks away while he diminishes a proud Native American heritage in the process.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year 2011...It's far from over...
Dear Supporters:
2010 ended with yet another example that Peltier’s criminal history is still being examined. The final chapter has yet to be written in the brutal slaying of Anna Mae Aquash at the hands of AIM members, although prosecutors are getting closer. Graham’s defense to the charges was to offer no defense at all. His conviction in South Dakota last December demonstrates that those involved in ordering her death have yet to be brought to justice. They know who they are and some are still out there; many of them hypocritically speaking on her behalf.
So this is one thing that Peltier can contemplate during the coming year, whether others, maybe even like Graham, will step forward and provide the sworn testimony needed to implicate him and others in her death.
Perhaps, it’s time for Peltier and the LPDOC to remove Anna Mae’s name from their website list of those allegedly “uninvestigated” deaths during the Reign of Terror…a reign for sure brought on by the criminal elements of the American Indian Movement, Peltier included.
Peltier and the LPDOC will continue their sham fundraising for legal issues which have long since been waived or lost during numerous appeals and watch as his ebbing support recedes to nothing.
Now that the holidays are over and we all face a New Year with some optimism for a recovering economy, an improved quality of life for all citizens and a saner world, please accept the very best for a healthy and happy New Year.
In the meantime and for this New Year and those to follow, our thoughts remain with the memories of Jack and Ron, their families, friends and former co-workers.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
2010 ended with yet another example that Peltier’s criminal history is still being examined. The final chapter has yet to be written in the brutal slaying of Anna Mae Aquash at the hands of AIM members, although prosecutors are getting closer. Graham’s defense to the charges was to offer no defense at all. His conviction in South Dakota last December demonstrates that those involved in ordering her death have yet to be brought to justice. They know who they are and some are still out there; many of them hypocritically speaking on her behalf.
So this is one thing that Peltier can contemplate during the coming year, whether others, maybe even like Graham, will step forward and provide the sworn testimony needed to implicate him and others in her death.
Perhaps, it’s time for Peltier and the LPDOC to remove Anna Mae’s name from their website list of those allegedly “uninvestigated” deaths during the Reign of Terror…a reign for sure brought on by the criminal elements of the American Indian Movement, Peltier included.
Peltier and the LPDOC will continue their sham fundraising for legal issues which have long since been waived or lost during numerous appeals and watch as his ebbing support recedes to nothing.
Now that the holidays are over and we all face a New Year with some optimism for a recovering economy, an improved quality of life for all citizens and a saner world, please accept the very best for a healthy and happy New Year.
In the meantime and for this New Year and those to follow, our thoughts remain with the memories of Jack and Ron, their families, friends and former co-workers.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
Thursday, December 23, 2010
CRITICAL WITNESSES AGAINST PELTIER
Dear Supporters:
All the best for the holidays and a healthy and happy New Year.
Please see the latest Editorial Essay #55. Introduction follows:
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#critical
The purpose of this editorial essay is to provide a detailed summary of the critical witnesses against Peltier; those who placed him at the scene of the crime. (There will be no discussion concerning Peltier’s actual guilt, which has been extensively covered elsewhere and is beyond any doubt.) The witnesses are presented in the order of appearance at trial and the complete transcripts (approximately 493 pages) are available and linked as follows: Michael Anderson, Wilford Draper, Norman Brown and Angie Long Visitor.
Also included for reference are the government and defense summations and the government’s rebuttal.
During the course of Peltier’s five-week trial (Fargo, North Dakota, March-April 1977 before U.S. District Court Judge Paul Benson) there were many witnesses who provided sworn testimony regarding the investigation into the murders of Special Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams (Reservation Murders, or RESMURS) that occurred on the Jumping Bull property, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota on June 26, 1975.
The government’s evidence and testimony against Peltier covered a great many more details to support the elements of the charges against him, however, in this author’s opinion, the most critical evidence against Peltier was—in a manner of speaking—his own people, other Native Americans at Jumping Bull that day who helped provide the jury with a sense of the agents’ final moments.
Certainly, the government presented other significant evidence in addition to testimony from both sides that either supported or refuted statements made by the critical witnesses.
Peltier’s defense team had but one mission; to create within the jury’s mind that the government had not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Peltier was afforded the presumption of innocence and the defense had to impeach those government witnesses who presented the most damaging testimony. Most of the critical witnesses were hostile (not totally cooperative to one side or the other, or sometimes both), and as noted below, some of the exchanges between the attorneys were contentious.
The jury was the trier of fact and it is not known what weight they ascribed to the testimony of each witness and whether the government or defense arguments to otherwise bolster or destroy the witnesses credibility was successful or not. But, in either instance, a few fundamental facts remained for the jurors to individually and collectively consider as they reached a unanimous decision concerning Peltier’s guilt.
However, in the end, the jury had to wade through a mire of often-conflicting testimony to determine the truth, as they perceived it. Sometimes those perceptions are indefinable, merely faint expressions or glimmers of truth or untruth, which they may not be able to articulate or explain but still provide a conscious recognition from each witness of the events of that day.
The jury’s decision, of course, along with the conduct and presentation of the government’s case and Peltier’s sentencing, led to numerous appeals so that every facet of the trial was ultimately analyzed in painstaking detail. The results of that voluminous and intense appellate review validated the jury’s finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The jury’s decision was final, but in the spirit of continuing debate it is now up to concerned readers to make their own judgment based on this review of the critical witnesses against Peltier.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
NPPA-Founder
All the best for the holidays and a healthy and happy New Year.
Please see the latest Editorial Essay #55. Introduction follows:
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#critical
The purpose of this editorial essay is to provide a detailed summary of the critical witnesses against Peltier; those who placed him at the scene of the crime. (There will be no discussion concerning Peltier’s actual guilt, which has been extensively covered elsewhere and is beyond any doubt.) The witnesses are presented in the order of appearance at trial and the complete transcripts (approximately 493 pages) are available and linked as follows: Michael Anderson, Wilford Draper, Norman Brown and Angie Long Visitor.
Also included for reference are the government and defense summations and the government’s rebuttal.
During the course of Peltier’s five-week trial (Fargo, North Dakota, March-April 1977 before U.S. District Court Judge Paul Benson) there were many witnesses who provided sworn testimony regarding the investigation into the murders of Special Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams (Reservation Murders, or RESMURS) that occurred on the Jumping Bull property, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota on June 26, 1975.
The government’s evidence and testimony against Peltier covered a great many more details to support the elements of the charges against him, however, in this author’s opinion, the most critical evidence against Peltier was—in a manner of speaking—his own people, other Native Americans at Jumping Bull that day who helped provide the jury with a sense of the agents’ final moments.
Certainly, the government presented other significant evidence in addition to testimony from both sides that either supported or refuted statements made by the critical witnesses.
Peltier’s defense team had but one mission; to create within the jury’s mind that the government had not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Peltier was afforded the presumption of innocence and the defense had to impeach those government witnesses who presented the most damaging testimony. Most of the critical witnesses were hostile (not totally cooperative to one side or the other, or sometimes both), and as noted below, some of the exchanges between the attorneys were contentious.
The jury was the trier of fact and it is not known what weight they ascribed to the testimony of each witness and whether the government or defense arguments to otherwise bolster or destroy the witnesses credibility was successful or not. But, in either instance, a few fundamental facts remained for the jurors to individually and collectively consider as they reached a unanimous decision concerning Peltier’s guilt.
However, in the end, the jury had to wade through a mire of often-conflicting testimony to determine the truth, as they perceived it. Sometimes those perceptions are indefinable, merely faint expressions or glimmers of truth or untruth, which they may not be able to articulate or explain but still provide a conscious recognition from each witness of the events of that day.
The jury’s decision, of course, along with the conduct and presentation of the government’s case and Peltier’s sentencing, led to numerous appeals so that every facet of the trial was ultimately analyzed in painstaking detail. The results of that voluminous and intense appellate review validated the jury’s finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The jury’s decision was final, but in the spirit of continuing debate it is now up to concerned readers to make their own judgment based on this review of the critical witnesses against Peltier.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
NPPA-Founder
Sunday, December 5, 2010
PELTIER NEARS CLEMENCY...
Well, not quite. And before Leonard Peltier and the LPDOC get all giddy and start salivating over the President’s first pardons (December 3, 2010), let’s take a closer look at the list and compare them to Leonard’s crimes.
Of the nine, 77% had received probated sentences (in other words, no jail time) for crimes like illegal possession of government property, possession of cocaine, liquor violations, false statements, counterfeiting, and of all things, coin mutilation. Only two had received jail time (24 months for a military conviction) and a year-and-a-day for possession of cocaine and marijuana. Their average wait (spanning from as early as 1960 to 1999) was twenty-eight (28) years.
Within the backdrop of these pardons the President has received 3,389 new petitions and started 2010 with 4,716 pending petitions but denied 1,288 with another 842 being closed without any action taken (that’s about 2,000 if the LPDOC is keeping track).
What the list of recipients didn’t include was someone serving two life sentences (plus another seven consecutive years for an armed escape) who was convicted of murder and aiding and abetting in the brutal deaths of two federal agents, someone who has had more bites of the legal apple than possibly inmates on death row, twice reaching the U.S. Supreme court, and never having either his sentence or conviction overturned; someone who was the subject of sworn testimony (April, 2010) in federal court quoting him as saying one of the agents begged for his life but that he shot the---anyway, or in a public statement (February, 2010) announcing “And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.” (Please see http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#concise for additional details.)
See the difference? These pardons, as they usually are, were granted to those who have served their sentences (as minor as some were), have reformed, and desired to have their debt to society removed and certain rights restored, like the right to vote, hold public office or own a firearm. Not a likely set of circumstances for Leonard Peltier.
On a scale of 1 to 1,000, where these nine pardons rate as a “1,” Peltier’s name wouldn’t appear on the list of those deserving even a cursory review for consideration.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
Of the nine, 77% had received probated sentences (in other words, no jail time) for crimes like illegal possession of government property, possession of cocaine, liquor violations, false statements, counterfeiting, and of all things, coin mutilation. Only two had received jail time (24 months for a military conviction) and a year-and-a-day for possession of cocaine and marijuana. Their average wait (spanning from as early as 1960 to 1999) was twenty-eight (28) years.
Within the backdrop of these pardons the President has received 3,389 new petitions and started 2010 with 4,716 pending petitions but denied 1,288 with another 842 being closed without any action taken (that’s about 2,000 if the LPDOC is keeping track).
What the list of recipients didn’t include was someone serving two life sentences (plus another seven consecutive years for an armed escape) who was convicted of murder and aiding and abetting in the brutal deaths of two federal agents, someone who has had more bites of the legal apple than possibly inmates on death row, twice reaching the U.S. Supreme court, and never having either his sentence or conviction overturned; someone who was the subject of sworn testimony (April, 2010) in federal court quoting him as saying one of the agents begged for his life but that he shot the---anyway, or in a public statement (February, 2010) announcing “And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.” (Please see http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#concise for additional details.)
See the difference? These pardons, as they usually are, were granted to those who have served their sentences (as minor as some were), have reformed, and desired to have their debt to society removed and certain rights restored, like the right to vote, hold public office or own a firearm. Not a likely set of circumstances for Leonard Peltier.
On a scale of 1 to 1,000, where these nine pardons rate as a “1,” Peltier’s name wouldn’t appear on the list of those deserving even a cursory review for consideration.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
