Tag Archives: Angola Three

WHO IS HERMAN WALLACE? WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Posted by curi56 on
"Who is Herman Wallace" - geograph.o...

“Who is Herman Wallace” – geograph.org.uk – 865449 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Watch the film on youTube: Link auf youTube: http://youtu.be/Gjd1smWtf7k

 

There are 2.2 million people in jail in the U.S. More than 80,000 of those are in solitary confinement. New Orleans native Herman Wallace has been there longer than anyone. In 1972, Herman was serving a 25-year sentence for bank robbery when he was accused of murdering an Angola Prison guard and immediately thrown into solitary.

 Many believed he was wrongfully convicted.

Then in 2001 he received a letter from art student Jackie Sumnell, who posed the provocative question: “What kind of house does a man who has lived in a six-foot-by-nine-foot cell for over 30 years dream of?” An inspired creative dialogue led to a collaborative art project:

                “The House That Herman Built.”

The exhibition has brought thousands of gallery visitors around the world face-to-face with the harsh realities of the American prison system. But as Herman’s House reveals, the exhibition is just the first step. Their journey takes an unpredictable turn when Herman asks Jackie to make his dream a reality. As her own finances dwindle, Jackie wonders if she will ever succeed. Meanwhile, the Louisiana courts consider Herman’s latest appeal. Along the way we meet former “stick-up kid” Michael Musser; Herman’s sister Vickie, a loyal and tireless supporter; and former long-term solitary inmate and fellow Black Panther activist Robert King.

 With compassion and meaningful artistry, Herman’s House takes us inside the lives and imaginations of two unforgettable characters–forging a friendship and building a dream in the struggle to end the “cruel and unusual punishment” of long-term solitary confinement. More information about our film please visit the website

http://www.hermanshousethefilm.com

Albert Woodfox after 40 years (!) in Solitary Confinement: could be freed after a three-day Evidentiary Hearing!

Posted by curi56 on
Map of Baton Rouge in 1863

Map of Baton Rouge in 1863 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

USA: crucial hearing could see Angola 3’s Albert Woodfox freed Posted: 28 May 2012 40 years in solitary confinement could end A three-day evidentiary hearing into a claim of racial discrimination in the selection of the grand jury foreperson prior to the 1998 retrial of Albert Woodfox is due to begin in a federal court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana tomorrow (29 May). A ruling in his favour could result in Albert Woodfox’s conviction being overturned for the third time, and could secure his release from prison after being held in solitary confinement for 40 years. Albert Woodfox was convicted in 1973 – along with a second prisoner, Herman Wallace – of the 1972 murder of a prison guard called Brent Miller. Both men, who have vigorously denied involvement in the crime, were placed in solitary confinement in Closed Cell Restriction at Louisiana State Penitentiary (known as Angola prison). A third man, Robert King, who was accused of a different crime, was also held in these conditions and the three were jointly known as the “Angola 3”. King was released in 2001 after serving 29 years in solitary. Meanwhile, Woodfox’s conviction was overturned in 1992, but he was re-indicted and convicted again at a 1998 trial. In 2008, a federal District Court judge ruled that Woodfox had been denied his right to adequate assistance of counsel at his 1998 retrial and ordered the state to re-try or release him. The District Court had also found that his lawyers had made a prima facie case of discrimination in relation to the selection of the grand jury foreperson, and that this warranted a federal evidentiary hearing to give the state an opportunity to rebut the claim. The state appealed against the District Court order for a retrial and in June 2010 a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned the decision. The case was remanded to the District Court for an evidentiary hearing on the grand jury discrimination claim: it is this hearing that is about to begin. The foreperson of the grand jury that indicted Albert Woodfox for his 1998 retrial was white. Woodfox’s lawyers have presented evidence of the consistent under-representation of African Americans serving as grand jury forepersons compared to their numbers in the general population of the parish in which Albert Woodfox, who is himself African American, was tried. Amnesty International considers the issue of discrimination in the selection of the grand jury foreperson to be a significant one. The right to trial, in full equality and free from discrimination, before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal lies at the heart of due process of law and requires that justice must not only be done, it must also be seen to be done. Actual impartiality and appearance of impartiality are both fundamental for maintaining respect for the administration of justice. The organisation will continue to monitor developments in this case. On 17 April, Amnesty submitted a petition to the Governor of Louisiana with over 67,000 signatures from individuals in 125 countries urging that Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace be removed from long term isolation.

This seems really to be a miracle. I hope Albert Woodfox would have a familiy helping him, or an organization, helping him, stand by him. Good luck, God bless You, Albert Woodfox.

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