I'm not real sure to whom I am writing. But in hopes that
I can help young people understand in some way how devastating drugs and
violence can be. I know this is supposed to be on capital punishment,
but my life is what got me here so this all ties in ! Some I have to
be a little vague on because of my appeals right now. Please feel free
to
write again if you want more information.
1. Can you tell me about yourself prior
to your conviction ?
1) I came from a very young and wild family. My parents were
hippies and lived very freely. As I got older they grew up some as well
but drugs were still a very big part of my home life. Consequently I vowed
to never do them. At 17 yrs old I married and my husband joined the
army. It moved us to Fort (?) California where the marriage turned
extremely abusive. I became pregnant at 18 and had my daughter
in August of 92. I left my husband 6 months later and moved back to
Amarillo (where I'm from.) I had no self esteem or confidence in myself.
And literally beleived my heart was broken. All my life I'd
watched my parents numb their pain with drugs, so I started drinking
and smoking a little pot. Shortly after, I became a topless dancer
and went all over (Las Vegas, Odessa, Austin, Dallas) this is when I began
using cocaine. I was 22 years old the first time I stuck a needle in
my arm. Less than 4 years later I was facing capital murder (there is a lot
more
to this but this is sort of an outline.)
2. Please explain the situation that
has brought you to death row ?
I was accused of committing robbery and murder.
3. Are you guilty as convicted ?
If you are innocent, where do you think the legal system failed you with
being convicted and what measures are you taking to help prove your innocence?
I've never denied there was a crime committed but it was not
capital murder. I defended my life. I really cannot go into detail
on this area because there is evidence just now being discovered. But
my 1st Direct appeal has just been filed - by David Botsford out of Austin,
And is mostly based on ineffective counsel. The system failed
me by giving me lawyers who basically did nothing. There were also several
"inmate" witness whom were given deals to testify that did not even know
me.
4. Do you think you should be on death
row ? Do you believe in capital punishment? What do you think your
punishment should be ?
No, I don't believe anyone should be on death row. No, I do
not believe in executions. Violence will only breed more violence.
Teaching people to respond to violence with violence will only breed more.
God alone is the author of life. I'm not a real religious person but
I don't beleive premeditated murder is right for either a criminal or an
entire state. I'm not real sure what I believe my punishment
should be. I've lost all faith in the system over the last 2 years
here. This place doesn't care about rehabilitation anymore. Prisons
are no better than war camps today.
5) What are you doing to prepare yourself
for death ? Do you think at that time justice will be served ?
I have found my place within. A strength that lets me know I
will be okay regardless. I know where I will be going and I'm at peace
with that if it happens. I'm not scared of death. The life I was
living before I came here was worse that a thousand deaths.
6) Can you describe what conditions on death
row are like compared to those as a regular inmate ?
We are locked in a cell 23 hrs a day to where other inmates usually
live in dorms with other women. They also work towards priveledges
(such as contact visits, early releases, level and line class) We will never
receive any of these priveledges no matter how well we behave, whenever we
go anywhere on the unit other inmates are made to face away
and we never are allowed to speak to them.
7) Are men and women treated equally on death
row ?
No men are not women and never can you treat the 2 the same, I just
do not believe that you can ever treat the 2 the same. But its not fair
to give the men things you won't the women. Bust see we won't get loud
or violent as to where they will.
8) Is there anything you would like to share,
words of wisdom, legally, or requests of the public ? Thank you very
much.
Just that life is so very precious, never take it for granted !
Sincerely, BRITT
1. Could you please explain what you
were convicted of to receive your death sentence?
I was convicted of two cases of capital murder
and robbery, up on my being found guilty I was then sentenced to death.
2. How long have you been on death row?
I’ve been incarcerated on Alabama death row
since July 5, 1979. This July I will have spent the last 20 years of
my life on death row.
3. Do you feel you received a fair trial?
Please explain.
No I didn’t receive a fair trial. I am
going to enclose some other information I already have written about my case
and explain why I didn’t get a fair trial.
4. What is it like on death row?
Living on Alabama death row has its many ups
and downs from the staff as well as from the inmates. They have many
rules that we have to live by that doesn’t make a lot of sense to anyone.
Most of us enjoy each others joy and feel each others pain. It’s many
things that most of us don’t agree about because we all come from many different
walks of life. But the one thing we all share in common we are all under
a sentence of death and we are all fighting for the same common cause – our
lives. I cannot speak for all of the guys but each time one of the
guys is put to death I lose a part of myself, and from that day forward
I am not the same and more, it’s like sitting
here while my family is being murdered and I am unable to do anything to
help them. All I can do is sense their pain and pray for them.
A normal day in my life on death row starts out at 3:00 AM every morning
except Sundays and holidays. I am a diabetic and I suffer with high
blood pressure, so I get up and take my shot and other medications.
I work in the unit I live in, so about 3:15 AM my door opens and I come out
and get the food and wake everyone up for breakfast. Then I clean up
the unit, take my shower, and return to my cell until 6:00 AM. Then
I get go down to the law library for the rest of the day, where I read guys
legal briefs and help them find mistakes in their cases that might get their
death sentence set aside and their cases sent back to the lower court for
a new trial. We are kept locked in small one man cells most of the
time. My cell in on the top level and it’s very hot in the summer and cold
in the winter. We are allowed to go outside for one hour each day when
the weather is nice. During that time we can play volleyball or basketball
or just walk around the compound and talk. Our death row law library
is used for things also. We use it for church twice a week and bible
class on Sunday morning. On Tuesday and Thursday nights it’s used for
school for the ones wanting to get their GED. Before the college classes
were stopped it was also used for college twice a week.
5. Do you plan to/or are you, at present,
in the process of appealing your sentence?
Yes, my case is still on appeal. The 11th
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on my case last month and let stand my death
sentence. I have filed a motion for a rehearing. At the present
time I am waiting to see if the court is going to grant my request for a rehearing.
If the court doesn’t grant my motion, I then file my final appeal to the
United States Supreme Court, which most likely will let stand the ruling
from the 11th Circuit. The way will then be cleared for my case to
be sent back to the Alabama Supreme Court and the Alabama Attorney General
will then ask the court to set a date for my execution. At this point
if nothing goes in my favor within the next 18 months my life will end.
6. Do you agree with capital punishment?
Please explain.
No I don’t agree with capital punishment.
Because it’s not fair and it’s wrong to kill for any reason, and all it
really does is sends a message to everyone that it’s not wrong to kill.
Most people don’t want to believe it but there’s a lot of innocent people
on death row, and the way the courts work the door is open and those innocent
people are being put to death. Since they started using DNA, 70 some
innocent men and women have been released from death row. There’s many more
that won’t be so lucky. Then it’s the cost, before the state can put
me to death it will spend more then six million dollars, the cost to lock
me up for the rest of my life without parole only cost about six hundred
thousand dollars. Then race has a lot to do with who ends up on death
row. We are still living in a world where more value is put on the
lives of a white person then on blacks and other races. Once a person
has been put to death and it’s proven he is innocent you cannot bring him
back and make it alright. So any law that we have that allows for innocent
people to be put to death isn’t a good law and we shouldn’t have it.
Our justice system is so unperfect our police go out and knowingly arrest
the wrong people and plant evidence and send them to death row.
And if we are God fearing and walking with the
Lord we must love and forgive the ones who hurt us not put them to death.
I know that it isn’t easy to forgive some one after they have took the life
of some one we love senselessly. Since I have been here on death row
my 14 year old daughter was raped and murdered, by two boys her age.
She was God fearing, I know that she forgave them and she would want me to
the same so after a lot of praying I was able to forgive them.
7. Do you believe the death penalty deters
crime? Why or why not?
No I don’t believe the death penalty deters
crime. In states where they don’t have the death penalty the crime
rate is much lower than in the states that have the death penalty.
Plus when a person goes out to commit a crime they are not thinking about
what is going to happen if they get caught, and if they were thinking about
the death penalty they
most likely wouldn’t go out and commit the crime
in the first place.
8. What advice would you give young people today?
The advice I can best offer to our young people and all people today. Don’t give into peer pressure, because it doesn’t make you strong it makes you weak and that will get you in trouble. We should stand up for what we know are right even if it doesn’t put us in good standards with the ones we call our friends. In most cases if you stay away from drugs, and are very careful about the ones we hang out with we will do the right things and won’t end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. We all should value others lives just as much as we value our loved ones and our own lives. I knowing being a part of a gang plays a major roll in a lot of young people ending up in trouble and on death row.
9. Please feel free to include any other information.
If I was given a second chance there’s so many
things I would do differently. I would start out by making sure the
ones that I was trusting was good people that were working within the laws
to make the world a better place for everyone. And when I knew something
wrong was about to happen to someone else I wouldn’t look the other way as
if it wasn’t my business. Now that I am older I would love to spend
time with my grand kids giving them good values so hopefully they won’t make
the same mistakes that I made. I would spend more time walking with
the Lord. I hope that I have been able to be helpful to you with your
research paper about the death penalty. I would like Tiffani to have
all of the enclosed information. Thank you again for all of your kindness
and care.
Respectfully Yours Always,
Freddie Lee Wright
.Visit Freddie Lee Wright's Homepage
1. Explain what I was convicted of.
I was convicted of a 1st
and 2nd degree murder, a robbery, and special circumstances (for death sentence)
of(A) a murder during the commission (B) multiple murder.
2. How
long on Death row?
Since 1994 (5 years but arrested in 1991 for this case.)
3. Do I
feel I received a fair trial?
No. When cops fabricate evidence, and District Attorney's
get people to lie thinking that they are "helping." a good cause cannot be
a fair trial by any means. Also I am living proof that white people
in America think that a six foot tall 150 lb black man is the same as a five
feet eight tall 185 lbs black man. At least that is what all my white
jurors thought.
4. What
is it like on Death row?
Thats hard to say.
I have no way to explain to you the kind of people (uneducated, psychologically
unbalanced - and angry) I am forced to live with. Then they employ
the sane kind of people (of identical mindsets as the aforementioned inmates)
as correctional officers. Only the experience can teach you to know
what Death row living is like & I would not wish that upon anyone.
There are no physical amenities.
5. Do I
plan to appeal ?
Yes
6. Do I
agree with capital punishment ?
No. If we were to truly live by the "eye for an eye" we would
have to rape those who rape and molest those who molest. It is just
as absurd to murder those who murder. Besides that, I have witnessed
a few people who truly regret the things they have done. People do change.
7. Do I
believe the death penalty deters crime?
I do not believe in things that are false or things that
do not accurately reflect reality. All numbers, studies, and research
show that the Death penalty does not deter crime. Americans are raised
from childhood to believe in lies. Lies of Santa Claus, tooth fairies,
Easter Bunnies, and that the death penalty deters crime. All are lies.
8. What
words would I offer to teens & / or other people?
Learn to live life
with MORAL & intellectual courage. Don't yield what is right, just
or truthful, for any cause, or pressure to fit in, or go with the flow of
others. When they themselves are blind to what is upright. Learn
to stand alone and stand firm. That's all I would suggest.
9. What
would I do differently if given the chance?
I would have taken the advice
from the above questions' answer.
.Visit
James
Robinson's Homepage
4/19/99 3:07 pm
Dear --------
Thanks for your email - I appreciate you writing to me and your words
of support. I just received your email this week. Glad to hear
you're against death penalty.
You asked about my feelings about the death penalty. In Philadephia there has been many mistaken identity cases in fact this year and last several months going back from 1998 October to Feb 99, young man by the name of Gregory Wilburn was mistakenly identified, crime he didn't commit. Yusuf Warrick was wrongly accused, police and witnesses lied. When in fact this young man was in school, had his teacher not have took this information to a newspaper writer who wanted to seek the truth...Yusuf Warrick would be in jail. The police and district attorney will frame a person in a minute, go to great lengths to hide the truth. You should keep in mind innocent people have died before on death row.
Philadelphia, Texas, head district attorneys have clearly and openly stated to the public "If they kill 10 people and only 2 are innocent, its for the betterment of the system." This is a bunch of barbaric crap, they don't care at all but our families and friends care. A good book for you to read is "In Spite Of Innocence - The Ordeal of 400 Americans Wrongly Convicted Of Crimes Punishable by Death" by Radelet, Bedau, and Putnam. This book tells the complete truth, you look at the Anthony Porter situation. 16 years on death row out in Chicago. Had it not been for those brave students, Northwestern University, an innocent man would be dead. Lets not kid ourselves the police, DA, lawyer, system, bogus witnesses, wouldn't have lost any sleep. Crime is not down, nor is the death penalty a deterrent or solution. Police giving out misleading data on crime, creating better jobs for poor people are the answer. No one wants to suffer dig me.
Recent data I seen says that now 12% of us in jail are innocent
people, just started listening. people should be outraged by this fact, I
should have hundreds of thousands of people supporting me but I don't.
People need to stand up, get involved, because the justice system isn't perfect,
all cops don't tell truth, that is a fairy tale. I sit in jail 71/2
years going on 8, a scapegoat. Just like Anthony Porter, Walter D McMillian,
Dennis Williams, Kenny Adams, many other,s I suffer for no reason at all,
trying to get people to listen and help. What everyone needs to realize
is this situation can happen to anyone, noone is immune at all believe that.
You can find articles of G Wilburn, Yusuf Warrick, in Phila Daily News, Phila
Inquirer. I'm going to close, take care, hope to hear from you again,
Peace. Music Boys II Men "I Will Get There."
praying 4 the truth of 99
JIMMY
Visit Justice For Jimmy Dennis Homepage
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