Friday, December 10, 2010

Death Penalty Opponents Speak Out - Clarence Brandley

Clarence Brandley, an African American man who lost ten years of his life on Texas death row due to a wrongful conviction, addressed the media on Dec. 9 at 10:00 AM at a press conference at the S.H.A.P.E. Community Center in response to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals shutting down a hearing on the unconstitutional use of the death penalty in Texas.

Brandley, a member of Witness to Innocence, responded to the unfounded charges of the Harris County District Attorneys' office who opposed the pretrial motion in the case of capital murder defendant John E. Green.

Arrested in 1980, Brandley and another Conroe High School janitor were questioned for the rape and murder of a 16-year-old high school volleyball player, Cheryl Ferguson. The deputy looked at the two men and pointed to Brandley, saying, "Well someone is going to hang for this and since you are the n * * * er, you're elected!" It was ten years and several execution dates later that Brandley finally won his freedom in 1990.

Also speaking was Lee Greenwood-Rollins whose son, Joseph Nichols, was wrongfully executed on March 7, 2007. She explained how Texas law and the Harris County District Attorney allowed her son to be convicted and executed for a murder he did not commit.

Click here to watch the Houston local2 coverage of the press conference on youtube.



Press conference pictures are posted on facebook.

Exonerated man speaks out about death penalty at community center

Protesters speak out against decision to shut down hearing on death penalty 

Click here to watch the full press conference video

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