FREE the SCOTT SISTERS!!-gctid33588

[nattyreb]

via:  thewrongfulconviction@gmail.com
---------

Greetings, everyone!

We are calling for everyone reading this e-mail to take a moment and send a letter to Oprah Winfrey on behalf of the Scott Sisters. Why? Because we are pulling out all of the stops in our attempts to bring this incredible case
of extreme Mississippi injustice to the attention of the nation and world,
it is just that compelling! Please read on and we are certain that you will
agree that taking a moment to make contact is at least worth the effort!

*We believe that sending in letters via postal mail will potentially have
the greatest impact, but realize that many of you would prefer to take
action on-line. The Oprah Show has a contact form for show ideas at her
website (Oprah.com - Live Your Best Life). Please take just a few moments and fill out the
form at https://www.oprah.com/ord/plugform.jsp?plugId=216, WE NEED FOR THIS TO BE MASSIVE. Since their form has a 2,000 character limit, below is just an example of a blurb to place in there:

"(sample) Jamie and Gladys Scott have been wrongfully convicted of armed
robbery and received a mind-boggling DOUBLE LIFE sentence each from a
Mississippi judge! No one was murdered or even injured in any way during
this robbery and no more than $11 was stolen. Witnesses confessed during the trial that the sheriff coerced and threatened them to lie on the Scott
Sisters, who have steadfastly maintained their innocence. The Scott Sisters
have 5 children between them who are being raised by their own ailing
mother. They have been unjustly imprisoned for 14 long years and the time
for them to come home is RIGHT NOW. Please visit
FREE JAMIE AND GLADYS SCOTT and feature this case, thank you!"

For all of you who would instead, or even additionally, send in letters,
please use the below addresses and there is also a sample letter.

PLEASE SHARE THIS E-MAIL WITH ALL OF YOUR CONTACTS and implore them to take a few moments and also take action on behalf of the Scott Sisters, we must make a GIGANTIC NOISE to be heard! *

Thank you very much!
----------

SAMPLE LETTER:

*THE COMMITTEE TO FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS*

E-mail Contact: thewrongful-@gmail.com
Website: FREE JAMIE AND GLADYS SCOTT

2/10/09

Oprah Winfrey Show
PO Box 909715, Chicago, Illinois 60690-9715
110 N Carpenter St., Chicago, Illinois 60607-2146

O Magazine
300 W 57th Street, Floor 36,
New York, New York 10019-3741

Dear Ms. Winfrey,

I am heartbroken. As you are aware, I am sure, Kmtyw American women are filling up prisons at an alarming rate. The last 20 years of the "drug war" have caused a tremendous rise in the numbers of incarcerated Black
women. Figures supplied by the United States Department of Justice show
that Black women are being imprisoned at nearly double the rate of men.

Thirty-three percent of women prisoners are Black and 16 percent are
Hispanic, according to experts at The Sentencing Project.

Injustice for Kmtyw American people is at an all time high and at every
turn there are cases upon cases of people who are wrongfully incarcerated, unjustly sentenced and the most severe inhumanity imaginable: *under *
*double lockdown (solitary confinement) for long periods of time. *

This being said, I am writing to you on behalf of Jamie and Gladys Scott.
Their mother and advocate Nancy Lockhart were recently guests on BlogTalkRadio.com
(Culture internet radio shows and Kmtyw internet radio by Queen Ifama - The Truth Terrorist | BlogTalkRadio - 2/8/09) and it brought tears to my eyes. Their mother contacted you a while ago and now I also would like to add my voice to hers. Being an avid fan of yours for years and knowing what you have featured on your show in the way of addressing injustice, I feel it imperative that you please take a look at the case of the Scott Sisters. At the time, these young women were 22 and 19 years old with five children between them. They have been incarcerated for 14 years. Fourteen years away from their children, fourteen years away from their parents and family. It has been devastating to this family. The only hope they have is our voices.

In 1994, Jamie and Gladys Scott were wrongfully convicted in the state of
Mississippi. A corrupt sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to convict the Scott Sisters of armed robbery. The case of the Scott sisters is
an intriguing one, with transcripts stating that 11 dollars was stolen, at
most.  It's important to note that no one was murdered or injured, in the alleged robbery. One of the state's witnesses, a 14 year old,
testified that he did not have an attorney present when signing a statement
prepared by the sheriff! These facts seem to mean little, as Jamie and Gladys Scott have served 14 years of double-life sentences, thus far, for a
robbery they did not commit. That's Double Life Each!

The Scott sisters, with no prior convictions before their sentencing, now
wallow in the belly of the Prison Industrial Complex. The emotional strain this burden has placed upon their family is immeasurable. Their
children, grandchildren, and mother have been forced to wade in the waters
of financial-hardship. Their father, though a strong man, passed away a few years back, following the illegal incarceration of his two beautiful
daughters. Readers should be aware that Jamie and Gladys Scott's brother is
currently fighting the war in Iraq, for a country which imprisons innocent people (like his sisters). Welcome to reality.

Though imprisoned and physically-bound, both sisters have fought to keep
their clarity and sanity in check.  One of the ways this is achieved, is through personal diaries—accounts of the often-glamorized, but
incomprehensibly horrific conditions of prison systems.

I appreciate the time you will take to look into this. Regardless to whether
we feel that they were innocent or guilty. The injustice is that the alleged crime does not warrant the amount of time that was given to these two
young Black women. Please visit FREE JAMIE AND GLADYS SCOTT for any information at all that you will need regarding this case. At some point we MUST stand up for justice. This happens far too often and
we have the POWER to do something about it.

Sincerely

(Your name and address)

Thank you very much in advance for mailing a letter of your own, please
become involved and let us know if you have done so!!

==============
SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail to FREETHESCOTTSISTERS-@topica.com
BLOGSPOT: FREE JAMIE AND GLADYS SCOTT
ARCHIVE: Topica Email List Directory

[Kamau Kambon]

OVER THE MANY YEARS BLACKNIFICENT BOOKS
AND THE BENNU CULTURAL CENTER HAVE
BEEN INVOLVED WITH ISSUES LIKE THESE,
  WE HAVE LEARNED THAT WRITING LETTERS
  IS A GOOD STRATEGY- HOWEVER-
 
  WE FOUND IT BETTER TO WRITE
 AND REGISTER OUR ALARM OVER AN ISSUE
  LIKE THIS
   ON A BIG POST CARD
INSTEAD OF A LETTER!
     WHY?
 A POST CARD WILL
GO THRU JUST AS MANY
PEOPLE AS A LETTER, BUT THE
DIFFERENCE IS THE PEOPLE WHO TOUCH THE POST CARD ARE
LIKELY TO TAKE A SECOND TO
READ IT AND
FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON!!
  FROM EVERYONE IN THE POST
OFFICE WHO HANDLES THE POST
CARD TO THE MAIL PERSON, TO
THE CLERK IN THE RECEIVING MAILROOM, TO THE RECEPTIONIST, AND MANY OTHERS- AND THOSE WHO READ THE POST CARD WILL TALK ABOUT IT TO THEIR CO-WORKERS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS-
A POST CARD WILL ALSO
EMBARASS THE PERSON WHO
IS RECEIVING IT, AS WELL-
AND SEND ONE TO THE
GOVERNOR, THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL AND THE HEAD OF THE
SENATE, AND THE PRESIDENT
ALL ON POST CARDS-
SEND IT TO OPRAH, BY POST
CARD-
THIS IS A VERY EFFECTIVE
STRATEGY THAT SHOULD
BRING RESULTS-
   TELL YOUR FRIENDS
ABOUT "POST CARD'EM"
-BECAUSE THE LAST THING
white dominators want is for
A LIGHT TO SHINE ON THEIR
MIS-DEEDS!!!!

ASSIGNMENT:
  *USE THE POST CARD
    STRATEGY AND WRITE
     TO THESE NEGRO RADIO
       STATIONS THAT SELL
        GARBAGE: PARTYING,
           BUYING LUXURY CARS,
            ALCOHOL AND BAD FOOD
               TO BLACK PEOPLE!!!
                 SHUT THEM DOWN
                  FOR SELLING OUT!!!

 * SEND A POST CARD TO AOL-
      THEY REFUSE TO DELIVER
        E-MAILS TO MANY WHO
          HAVE AOL- SHUT 'EM DOWN!!

*SPECIAL NOTE:
   HIGH LEVEL THINKING,
     AND RIGHT ACTION,
      ALWAYS PRECEDES
         SOLUTION TO THE
             PROBLEM"
excerpt: " You Should be
               Ashamed of Your
               Nice, but Duped,
                Parents" part 2 & 3,
                  by K. Kambon

[nattyreb]

EXCELLENT ADVICE, STRONG BRO., I GOT YOU and am passing it on!!!

[nattyreb]

Dear Supporters of the Scott Sisters,

Donations are urgently needed for copying and postage. Please find it in your hearts to donate as little as $5 or forward priority mail stamps with delivery confirmation and regular postage ~ 42 cent stamps. Which ever you prefer will be greatly appreciated.

Donations may be made via pay pal link at ~ (FREE JAMIE AND GLADYS SCOTT) and stamps may be sent via US mail to

Nancy Lockhart, M.J.
P.O. Box 389
Green Pond, SC 29446

Thank You,

Nancy Lockhart, M.J.
Volunteer Legal Analyst
The Committee To Free The Scott Sisters

=================

The Scott Sisters could really use some correspondence from their supporters as they receive very, very little mail!  Please send a card, letter, drawing, poem, or anything uplifting into these Sisters, it would mean a great deal to them and their mother, as well!  

Ms. Jamie Scott #19197
C Bldg
P.O. Box 88550
Pearl, MS 39288

Ms. Gladys Scott #19142
B Bldg
P.O. Box 88550
Pearl, MS 39288

Thank you in advance!

[nattyreb]

Warm Greetings all,

Thanks so much to all of you who are fighting for justice for the Scott Sisters!  

Thanks to:

Anthony Papa, for writing this article on the Huffington Post!
Anthony Papa: The Scott Sisters: Two Life Sentences for 11 Dollars?

DISSIDENT VOICE, for publishing this article!!
Dissident Voice : Women in Prison: Where Do We Draw the Line?

SOCIALIST WORKER, for publishing the Huffington Post article!
Two life sentences for $11 | SocialistWorker.org

You can now follow the Scott Sisters on TWITTER at:  
Twitter / ScottSisters
=====

Please copy and paste the below press release to e-mail and/or snail mail to as many of the below outlets as possible.  Please also share as much mainstream press contact info as you are able to with us, we're on a mission to make this case one that is brought to the forefront in a very big way.  Your efforts are needed to make that happen and are greatly appreciated!

The Associated Press - Jackson, MS - southdesk@ap.org

Dateline NBC - dateline@NBCUNI.com

The Rachel Maddow Show - rachel@msnbc.com

Today Show - today@nbc.com

National Public Radio - ombudsman@npr.org

CNN Feedback Form -  Please go to CNN.com - Contact Us  and copy and paste the first four paragraphs of the Press Release into the box marked Story Ideas (the last sentence to fit in that box is the one that begins "In October of 1994").

NY Times - news-tips@nytimes.com

20/20:
147 Columbus Ave., 10th fl, New York, NY 10023
Phone: 212-456-2020
Fax: 212-456-6533
E-mail: 2020@abc.com

ABC's Good Morning America:
147 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10023
Phone: 212-456-5900
Fax: 212-456-7257
E-mail: gma@abc.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE COMMITTEE TO FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS
CONTACT: NANCY LOCKHART, M.J.
P.O. BOX 389
Green Pond, SC 29446
Phone: 641-715-3900 Extension ~ 99222
Website: FREE JAMIE AND GLADYS SCOTT
E-Mail: thewrongfulconviction@gmail.com

MISSISSIPPI INJUSTICE: A DOUBLE-LIFE SENTENCE FOR $11.00!

Scott County, MS ---- In a trial fraught with legal malpractice and witness coercion, Mississippi Judge Marcus Gordon oversaw one of the most blatantly corrupt trials in history, culminating in the staggering over-sentencing of sisters Gladys and Jamie Scott to double-life each in an armed robbery where no one was murdered or harmed and the amount alleged to have been taken was a whopping $11.00.

On December 24, 1993, the Scott County Sheriff's Department arrested the Scott sisters for armed robbery even though three young males, ranging from ages 14 to 18, confessed to committing the crime. Despite this, the corrupt Mississippi sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to compel them to turn state's evidence against the Scott sisters due to a long-standing vendetta against a family member. The 14-year-old male would later testify that he did not read the statement and was pressured to sign a written statement prepared by the sheriff without an attorney being present.

As if that weren't bad enough, these young women received incompetent legal representation at the lower court trial. Their attorneys, Firnist J. Alexander, Jr. and Gail Shaw-Pierson failed to interview and subpoena witnesses, only calling one witness when there were several. Incredibly, the jury never even heard any testimony from the alleged victims. The sisters were advised to not testify on their own behalf by their attorneys, Alexander and Shaw-Pierson, denying them the opportunity to speak for themselves.

In October of 1994, Jamie and Gladys Scott were sentenced to extraordinary double life terms each in prison, even though neither sister had prior convictions and there was no violence involved in these charges.

The four State's witnesses provided conflicting testimony and one alleged accuser was not called to testify – he was not questioned or subpoenaed by defense attorneys Firnist J. Alexander, Jr. or Gail Shaw-Pierson. Witnesses admitted however, that reports prepared by the Sheriff, of their descriptions of the event contained no such claim. In other words, the sisters were not present. Jamie and Gladys Scott were not involved in the armed robbery and they did not conspire to plan such. Witnesses all testified that they were coerced and threatened by Deputy Sheriff Marvin Williams. Testimony also revealed that Marvin Williams prepared statements of the events from the night of December 24, 1994 BEFORE obtaining signatures and BEFORE the witnesses were brought into his office.  In other words, the statements were not written by witnesses. (1) Three affidavits exist – they all state that the Scott Sisters were not involved in this robbery. One affidavit is written by a trustee of the local jail, his account of the facts reveal that a wallet was located a few days after this alleged robbery and that wallet contained the photo ID of one of the alleged victims of the trumped up robbery and three twenty dollar bills. The trustee also reveals that there was NOT a robbery, he was also threatened to be sent to Parchman Penitentiary if he told the truth.

According to the Request for Commutation of Sentence and/or Pardon prepared by attorney Chokwe Lumumba, the Scott Sisters challenged their convictions on direct appeal; arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them, and the guilty verdict was against the overwhelming weight of evidence, which should have exonerated them. The court of appeals found no error and affirmed the convictions on December 17, 1996. As a result, they filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court, which was denied on May 15, 1997. They consequently filed an Application for Leave to File Motion to Vacate Conviction pursuant to the Mississippi Post Conviction Collateral Relief Act. The Supreme Court also denied that application.

This family is shell-shocked, yet determined to fight on. They have tried to have faith that at some point this unbelievable travesty would be corrected and their upside-down lives righted. Yet 14 long years later nothing has changed, the women's five children are still being raised by their now ailing mother, and their father has died of a massive heart attack because of this. The emotional strain this burden has placed upon their family is immeasurable.

Jamie Scott writes, "What began as an implication and outright miscarriage of justice, has catapulted to destroy an entire family. Gladys was a 19 year old pregnant mother, and myself, Jamie, a 22 year old mother during the time of our arrest, conviction and sentencing for a crime we did not commit." She continued, "We are convinced that once this chain of events is exposed and unraveled, the events that occurred, the lives that have been destroyed, the pain and suffering the citizens of Scott County have endured; everyone will be utterly amazed, astonished and compelled to assist us in our plight for freedom. We pray that the people would insist upon an investigation into their misconduct and miscarriage of justice."

Gladys and Jamie's older brother has recently returned from Iraq and has served in the US Army for 22 years, while his sisters remain victims of wrongful convictions in the very country that he proudly represents. The defendants and their family are wholly depending on support from the press, organizations, and all those dedicated to justice in making this debacle as public as possible.

(1) Full transcript is available at Jamie and Gladys Scott - Transcript