[DP] FW:: James Allridge info

Sat May 15 11:48:31 CDT 2004

Folks, Toward the bottom is a message from James Allridge, who has an August 
execution date. He is an artist on death row, and there is a big effort 
underway for clemency.

>From: "dp atwood" <dpatwood at igc.org>
>Reply-To: TCADP-BOARD01 at yahoogroups.com
>To: <jamesallridgeiii at yahoogroups.com>
>CC: 
><TCADP-BOARD01 at yahoogroups.com>,<tcadphouston at yahoogroups.com>,<lampofhope at yahoogroups.com>,<Anti-DeathPenaltyTX at yahoogroups.com>,<mlegteam at egroups.com>,<cjrc-standdown at yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: [TCADP-BOARD01] Re: [jamesallridgeiii] Digest Number 228
>Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 10:15:33 -0500
>
>Welcome to Ruth.
>
>I want to confirm that this will be the largest effort for clemency that we 
>have ever made.  Normally, all clemency efforts have been directed to the  
>central office of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in Austin.  
>Letters and petitions have been sent there with the hopes that they will be 
>sent on to the individual parole board offices around the state.  All these 
>offices vote on clemency via fax.  They never meet in one place for a pubic 
>meeting.  Since we have no confidence in the current system based on past 
>experience,  our plan is to actually go visit the individual offices and 
>make a presentation on James' behalf.   The legal team will organize this.
>
>So, in the meantime, gather petitions and letters and send them to me in 
>Houston (1802 Kipling St., Houston, Texas 77098).  Christa in Europe is 
>gathering the petitions and letters there and forwarding them to me.   I 
>will be working with the legal team to see how best to use the petitions 
>and letters.
>
>One thing is very important - we need many, many more petitions and letters 
>from people in Texas.  The Texas authorities consider the petitions and 
>letters arisng in this state more seriously.
>
>Let's make the earth shake for James Allridge.   No execution on August 26.
>
>Best wishes,  Dave
>
>
>Message -----
>   From: Beatrice Strobel
>   To: jamesallridgeiii at yahoogroups.com
>   Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 5:01 AM
>   Subject: Re: [jamesallridgeiii] Digest Number 228
>
>
>   Hello Ruth
>
>   Thanks for being the moderator of Jame's eGroup. I was very glad to 
>receive a message from him.
>
>   In Switzerland there are still coming in donations for his defense. I'm 
>in contact with Christa Dold to see who is in need for them. Please 
>everybody talk to her, if money (it's just a little bit, SFR 1000.- ) is 
>needed. It would be a pitty, if it would be used.
>
>   I hope you and everybody of the group is doing ok .
>
>   Greetings to you and everybody
>
>   Beatrice
>
>
>   dkat at avalon.net schrieb:
>
>Hello Everyone! My name is Ruth Westfall. James has asked me to be the
>moderator of his eGroup. I received the following message from him today, 
>May
>10.
>
>Greetings everyone, Let me begin by wishing all of the mothers a Happy
>Mother's Day. I'm sorry I didn't have the time or energy to make cards for
>everyone as I usually do but I'm sure you understand under the 
>circumstances.
>I thank everyone for your letters of encouragement, love and determination.
>Let me address a few matters of concern that have been brought to my
>attention.
>*Please continue to send your cards and letters to the same address here. I
>HAVE NOT been moved off the unit. Death Watch is just a special section of 
>A
>Pod where they house everyone with a pending execution date. We are treated 
>a
>bit different. We're not allowed to recreate with anyone not in this 
>section
>and don't ask me why. We're all under the sentence of death so I don't know
>what the big deal is.
>We're not allowed razors. Can't have us cheating the State out of the 
>glory.
>They give us a razor when we shower.
>They monitor our mail more closely and from various passing comments, I
>believe they actually keep a tally of the number of pieces of mail we 
>receive.
>I believe the amount of support we receive is noted so I would ask everyone 
>to
>drop me a line once a week or two. You know I enjoy hearing from you, 
>anyway.
>I'll respond as time allows but since the level of continued support will
>eventually influence the decision of the Board, let's start that process 
>now.
>I welcome letters from friends, fellow students, colleagues, church 
>members,
>etc.
>*I met with an Institution Parole Officer on Tuesday, May 4th. We had a 
>long,
>3 hour interview and she is to prepare a summary to present to the Board
>Members. Please note that this was information collected by TDCJ and 
>strictly
>voluntary on my part. I did take the opportunity to paint a more personal
>picture of myself. Too many times, we here are no more than case files. 
>Most
>guys facing a date decline the interview because clemency is so rare.
>We "communicated" and I asked as many questions as I was asked because I
>wanted to know how they felt about me, this crime and clemency. I gained a 
>lot
>of valuable insight and left the interview feeling encouraged.
>What I found out is there is a Master Parole File kept in Austin. All mass
>mailings (i.e., letters, faxes, postcards, petitions, etc.), sent prior to 
>a
>submission of a clemency petition go into that file. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE
>that the Board members who vote will actually see those letters.
>I would caution everyone to be patient. I know in your eagerness to help 
>and
>possible outrage that a date has been set, you may want to send an email or
>fax or write a letter to the Austin address. Please hold off. We'll be
>composing a packet on "How to write a Letter for Clemency" and have yet to
>determine how we will make the submissions so that our efforts will have 
>the
>optimum impact.
>In the interim, you can begin to draft your letters and possibly speaking 
>and
>gathering others who are willing to participate at the appropriate time.
>I have not spoken to the attorneys yet but past cases have shown that 
>clemency
>decisions go to the wire. That gives us over 90 days to make this the 
>biggest
>campaign for clemency that Texas has ever seen. Start now speaking to 
>friends,
>directing them to the FFL website, continue gathering signatures for the
>petitions.
>I, we, are blessed to have among our ranks some extremely creative and
>intelligent individuals. Doctors, lawyers, educators, artists, musicians,
>abolitionists, clerics, homemakers, editors and others. I've learned much 
>from
>you over the years. This is the time when a collective effort is needed. 
>Some
>initiative is needed but if there is the slightest doubt that anything done
>would cause harm to our collective efforts, please confer with Christa 
>Dold,
>European Coordinator, Dave Atwood, Legal Liaison or Stanley Allridge, 
>FFL/USA
>Executive Director.
>If anyone wants to arrange an event and needs cards and/or prints, please
>contact Abby at Light Expressions.
>It's been a busy week and there's more to tell so I'll return in a few 
>days.
>Everyone say hello to the new moderator, Ruth Westfall.
>I want to close with two quotes. One urging patience, "In the midst of
>movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you." -Deepak Chopra
>And a quote out of Mary's Almanac, "She didn't know it couldn't be done, so
>she went ahead and did it."
>Keep positive thoughts. If you believe it, you can achieve it. I believe!
>Let's just do it.
>Ain't changed a bit,
>James
>
>
>   Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70
>http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/9rHolB/TM
>---------------------------------------------------------------------~->
>
>There are 2 messages in this issue.
>
>Topics in this digest:
>
>       1. Light Expressions
>            From: Abby Harmon <abigailharmon at yahoo.com>
>       2. has anyone heard from James??
>            From: Abby Harmon <abigailharmon at yahoo.com>
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>Message: 1
>    Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 10:41:21 -0700 (PDT)
>    From: Abby Harmon <abigailharmon at yahoo.com>
>Subject: Light Expressions
>
>Hi Everyone,
>
>I am delighted to announce that thanks to our paypal expert, Ross, Light
>Expressions.net is now up & running again, ready to accept online
>orders.
>Anyone who prefers to print & mail their order can do so at
>http://www.lightexpressions.net/order.html
>
>Anyone who would like to distribute cards and/or thinks they might be
>able to sell a few, please contact me off list (abigailharmon at yahoo.com)
>
>
>Thanks
>Abby
>
>
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>Message: 2
>    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 00:26:30 -0700 (PDT)
>    From: Abby Harmon <abigailharmon at yahoo.com>
>Subject: has anyone heard from James??
>
>Hi guys,
>
>The last letter I got from James I received on April 26th - has anyone
>heard from him since then? I am worried about him. He is staying *so*
>upbeat in his letters to us, and I'm worried that he might not be so
>upbeat inside.  If anyone has heard from him, please email me off list
>(abigailharmon at yahoo.com) to let me know.
>
>I emailed Dave Atwood today to see where we are in hearing from his
>legal team about their strategy and when we can all get involved with
>letter writing, media contacts, working with local AI groups, other
>anti-DP groups, etc. I will, of course, forward any reply to the
>egroup.
>
>I have already contacted my local AI chapter, and plan to contact DPF
>and CUADP if necessary to ask for their help in this struggle.  If you
>don't know your local AI group but you are a member it might be worth
>getting in touch with them to see if they can be persuaded to join in
>this struggle.
>
>Cheers everyone, sorry for so many messages, I've been working for James
>all day :)
>
>Abby
>
>ps. still no word from Melissa - are you out there, Missy?? - Stan gave
>me your cell # but it's too late to call now. I'll try tomorrow..... :)
>
>
>
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