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July 09, 2008
Conviction Overturned After 36 Years in Solitary For "Angola 3" Member Albert Woodfox
COALITION TO FREE THE ANGOLA THREE
July 8, 2008
Conviction Overturned After 36 Years in Solitary For "Angola 3" Member Albert Woodfox
Federal Judge Rules Flawed Trial Lead to Wrongful Conviction in Case of Prison Guard's Murder
Lawyers Call on Prosecutors to Forgo Retrial, Release Men Immediately
In response to a Federal judge's decision overturning the conviction of Albert Woodfox, one of the two "Angola 3" members who remain in prison, lawyers for the men called on the State Attorney General's office to drop any further appeals and release the men immediately. Woodfox and fellow inmate Herman Wallace have been imprisoned since 1972 for the murder of prison guard Brent Miller. They spent 36 years of that time in solitary confinement.
In response to a Federal judge's decision overturning the conviction of Albert Woodfox, one of the two "Angola 3" members who remain in prison, lawyers for the men called on the State Attorney General's office to drop any further appeals and release the men immediately. Woodfox and fellow inmate Herman Wallace have been imprisoned since 1972 for the murder of prison guard Brent Miller. They spent 36 years of that time in solitary confinement.
"Herman and Albert were convicted of a crime based on false evidence. Now, a judge has overturned that conviction. They must be released immediately. They are men in their 60s who've spent the last 36 years of their lives in prison for a crime they did not commit. No further legal delay should rob them of even another day of their lives," said Chris Aberle, a lawyer for Woodfox.
"The state has already stolen nearly four decades of Albert Woodfox's life. The injustice in this case is unfathomable. How can Louisiana continue to imprison a 61 year old man after a federal judge has ruled that he shouldn't have been convicted in the first place? This case calls up the brutality and racism of an older Louisiana. The state needs to move forward. Albert must be released," said Nick Trenticosta, also a lawyer for the men.
The third member of the Angola 3, Robert King, was released in 2001 after a judge overturned his conviction. King had spent 29 years in solitary confinement for a separate crime.
www.Angola3.org
Posted by lois at July 9, 2008 02:42 PM