Amnesty International at OU

Troy Davis faces execution in Georgia in two weeks

2011-09-07T23:13:00.003-05:00

We will be writing letters this Friday to ask for clemency for Troy Davis. You can help! Sign the petition on Amnesty USA's website.

http://blog.amnestyusa.org/deathpenalty/dont-let-georgia-kill-troy-davis/

Troy Davis Information

2011-08-31T22:25:00.001-05:00

http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/usa-troy-davis/watch-videos-examining-the-troy-davis-case?msource=W1108EADP01&tr=y&auid=9376725

Amnesty USA has created a four-part video series explaining the background of the Troy Davis case and the need for clemency.

My Fellow American

2011-08-28T16:14:00.002-05:00

We will be viewing and discussing this short video at our meeting today, feel free to comment here or on their website!

http://myfellowamerican.us/

Maquiladora (film screening Thursday Dec. 2 7:30 PM) What is a Maquiladora?

2010-11-30T19:01:00.002-06:00

A maquiladora (Spanish pronunciation: [makilaˈðoɾa]) or maquila (IPA: [maˈkila]) is a concept often referred to an operation that involves manufacturing in a country that is not the client's and as such has an interesting duty or tariff treatment. It normally requires a factory, that may import materials and equipment on a duty-free and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing and then "re-exports" the assembled or manufactured product, sometimes back to the originating country. A maquila is also referred to as a "twin plant", or "in-bond" industry. The principal examples of this sort of operation occur in Latin America, but also occurs in other countries in the world, that have adequate legislation. Currently about 1.3 million Mexicans are employed in maquiladoras.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maquiladora

The Maze of Injustice

2010-10-20T07:35:00.002-05:00

A link to the full report can be found here:

Human Rights Abuse in the USA

2010-10-08T18:11:00.008-05:00

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/10/fbi-tracking-device/all/1

Well, I guess this answers the question of whether the FBI is still illegally spying on American citizens.

This week, a California college student named Yasir Afifi found a battery-powered tracking device on his car. His friend thought it was suspicious, and posted a picture of it online. Two days later, the FBI showed up at his house to collect the device that they claimed was "expensive." As Brian Alseth from the ACLU puts it, "It seems very frightening that the FBI have placed a surveillance-tracking device on the car of a 20-year-old American citizen who has done nothing more than being half-Egyptian."

Flood in Pakistan

2010-08-31T17:06:00.008-05:00

Photo Credit: journeyfish.com

If you were at the last meeting, you will remember that we decided our first action this year will take the form of a fundraiser to aid victims of the floods in Pakistan. The human rights aspect of the Pakistani crisis is underscored in these articles from the NY Times and the BBC:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/world/asia/24pstan.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10981230

"Nearly five million people have been displaced from the worst flooding ever recorded in Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands are being housed in orderly tented camps set up in army compounds, schools and other public buildings, but thousands more are living on roadsides and canal embankments, spreading out mats under the trees or making shade over the simple rope beds they brought with them.

The town of Sukkur is overflowing with displaced people. On the edge of the town, a group of 15 families with scores of children are camped along the Dadu Canal. Their mood is edgy, and they race in a horde after any vehicle that slows in the hope that it bears food or assistance. One woman showed her fractured arm, the result of a tussle for food.

“People are looting,” said Shad Mohammad, 28, a shopkeeper and father of five, who came here after his town, Ghospur, was flooded 15 days ago. “People run after trucks snatching things. People come, sometimes the government comes, or charities with food. Sometimes you get something, sometimes not.” "

The Genocide Behind Your Smart Phone

2010-07-18T10:02:00.002-05:00

Here is an informative Newsweek article about conflict minerals (similar to blood diamonds) that have been sneaking into supply chains for major technology companies in the US. As technology users, we should be concerned about where these materials come from; it seems they often come from Congo, and sometimes the money supports militia operations.

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/16/the-genocide-behind-your-smart-phone.html

Activist in Residence from Ghana - Co-hosted by the Women's and Gender Studies and African and African American Studies Programs

2009-09-17T11:36:00.004-05:00

The Women’s and Gender Studies Program and the African and African American Studies Program present Franciska Issaka, an activist, organizer, former elected and appointed government official from Ghana next week. She is the Activist-in-Residence for this fall and also the first speaker part of Dr. Irvine’s Women and World Politics Presidential Dream Course.

She is an inspiring and interesting figure with amazing experience. You can find the event on facebook. Please feel free to email, post, distribute, and encourage everyone to attend these awesome events.

Her schedule is as follow:

September 23 2.30pm Workshop “How To Change the World” lessons learned from everyday activism in Ghana, Traditions Room OMU

September 23 7pm Public Lecture “Realizing Women’s Rights in Africa: The Interface between Cultural and Universal Rights,” Scholars Room OMU

September 25 10am Breakfast “From One Activist To Another” meet and greet Franciska Issaka, a human rights activist from Ghana, Women’s and Gender Studies Lounge PHSC 531

Groovefest Fundraiser April 21st at 10pm

2009-04-15T23:35:00.001-05:00

Groovefest Meeting tomorrow 7pm Union Food Court

2009-04-15T23:15:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone,

There will be a Groovefest meeting tomorrow, Thursday, April 16th at 7pm in the Union food court. We may move to a classroom if it happens to be loud in there, just text me if you come late and can't find us.

Also, for those of you over 21, don't forget we are having a fundraiser show at the Deli next Tuesday, April 21st at 10pm - JonBear Fourtet, The Whiskey Trio, and Penny Hill solo, $5 at the door, all proceeds go to paying our exorbitant bills.

For those of you who didn't get to make it to the "Peace Not Prejudice" film festival last night, you should check out the video we made, up on our new youtube channel, www.youtube.com/ouamnesty. If I have time I'll post some highlights from Rosa's speech there soon.

See you soon,
Sarah

Handprint Mural for Stop Violence Against Women Campaign

2009-04-15T13:19:00.000-05:00

Max, Tom, and Will outside of Second Wind after the April 4th fundraiser.

Updates, Meeting this Wednesday 4/1 8:30pm

2009-03-30T14:58:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys,

Just a reminder we'll be having a work meeting for the State Conference this Wednesday, April 1st at 8:30pm at my house (816 S. Lahoma Ave.) to put together the conference materials and chalk the sidewalks for the statewide conference. (Bring your chalk!)

"Don't Look Away" Violence Against Women Panel Discussion
We will be making a short announcement about our State Conference at the panel discussion that is this Thursday, April 2nd at 7pm in the Sandy Bell Gallery of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. It is also likely we will be allowed to have a table, so please try to make it to this event. It will be a really interesting panel and a great opportunity to let people know about our conference.

Web Updates
We've made a lot of progress on the internet! The Groovefest website is up (www.groovefest.org) and both the Amnesty and Groovefest myspace pages got a redesign (www.myspace.com/ouamnesty, www.myspace.com/normangroovefest). Also, there are new pictures up on our flickr site - go check yourselves out! www.flickr.com/ouamnesty

Publicity for State Conference
There are fliers below for both our state conference and our fundraiser concert. We will have printed copies available on Wednesday but feel free to print some out before that and post them anywhere and everywhere. Also, if you frequent any departmental buildings (i.e. political science, honors college, etc) please ask if they would be willing to send out publicity for our event to their mailing list.

Election Results
Congrats to our 2009-2010 Officers, now in training!
President - Anna Przebinda
Vice President - John Best
Treasurer - John Goetzinger, (fall) Katie Knutter
Secretary - Cacie Thomas
Fall Groovefest - Sarah Warmker, Elliot Hale
Spring Groovefest - Katie Baker
Urgent Action Coordinators - Mady Ohs, (fall) Cindy Woods

As always, call/text/email if you need anything!

Sarah

2009 Oklahoma State Conference Flier

2009-03-29T23:25:00.004-05:00

Meeting and elections this Sunday, Lots of Updates

2009-03-25T14:42:00.005-05:00

Hey Everyone,

Our next meeting will be this Sunday, March 29th at 7pm in the Associates Room of the Union. We will be electing new officers for the 2009-2010 school year.

Elections
New officers will take over their roles effective immediately, so that we can make sure our transition to next year is a smooth one since many of our current officers are studying abroad next year. Whoever becomes the group coordinator can also apply for my job with Amnesty as an SAC (Student Activist Corps leader) for Oklahoma. Also remember that the officer positions are flexible and ultimately the group decides how responsibilities are distributed! If you want more info about positions, email okamnestyinternational@gmail.com.

Big Event
If you signed up to do Big Event 2009 this Saturday, don't forget that tomorrow (Thursday) is the last day to register in Beaird Lounge of the Union between 9:00am and 4:00pm. Bring your student ID! If you want to fill out the forms to speed up the registration process you can print them off at bigevent.ou.edu. On the day of the event, Cassie Ketrick from OU Web Communications will be coming along to make a video for OU's official youtube channel (www.youtube.com/universityofoklahoma). Email Chris Schroeder (schro87@ou.edu) if you have any questions about Big Event!

Don't Look Away: Violence Against Women and Human Rights in Oklahoma
The Women's and Gender Studies Program and the Xenia Institute are hosting a Panel Discussion on Thursday, April 2nd at 7pm in the Sandy Bell Gallery at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. See the flier for more details.

Amnesty International Releases Report on Immigrant Rights
Amnesty International USA just released a report about detention of immigrants called "Jailed without Justice." The keynote speaker for our statewide conference, Rosa Clemente, recently became Amnesty International's campaign director for immigrant rights, and she will be talking about some of the things in this report at the conference. You can find more info on Amnesty's website here.

Statewide Conference
As you all know, we are hosting the Oklahoma Statewide Amnesty International Conference at Sarkey's Energy Center from 9am-4pm on Saturday, April 4th. The registration form is attached, please fill it out and send it back if you plan on attending, even if you are a volunteer. If you want to volunteer the day of the conference but you have not been assigned a task yet, just reply to this email - we have a few more things left to cover, especially on the day of the event.

Videos needed - Peace Not Prejudice Film Festival
The Muslim Student Association has invited us to participate in a "Peace not Prejudice" film festival. We need at least two volunteers to use handheld video cameras to film our statewide conference and interview a few people during our state conference, also so that we can send this documentation to our AIUSA field organizer, who will be unable to attend our conference because of a scheduled surgery. If the videos are good, we might be able to get them on OU's youtube channel as well. Let me know if you're interested in doing this - we have cameras you can use. If you want more info about this, email okamnestyinternational@gmail.com.

As always, call/text/email me if you have any questions.

See you soon!
Sarah

Updates and Meetings this weekend

2009-03-05T12:43:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all your work on getting information for our state conference. I know some of you have had trouble getting calls back from your contacts. Ultimately, if they don't call you back by Friday, don't worry about it, we can always go with what we already have.

In light of an city ordinance passed a few weeks ago that requires us to do a substantial amount of paperwork for Groovefest, we will have a Groovefest planning/Board meeting on Sunday, March 8th at 5:30 in the Associates Room of the Union, prior to our 7pm State Conference planning meeting in the same room. This is a lot of work so we will have food at this meeting (fruit, veggies, and pizza). Please try to make it to one if you can't stay for both.

We are making good progress following our timeline, thanks guys for all you do.

Sarah

Reminders

2009-03-03T12:44:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to remind you all of a couple of things - we need to have those phone calls made by Wednesday at the latest. I have attached the minutes from Sunday's meeting in case you need a reminder of what you signed up for.

For contacting food vendors - when you make contact, you should send an email to okamnestyinternational@gmail.com with
1. The name of the business/group you talked to, including the individual you talked to
2. Their contact info, and
3. What they said they would/could do (or not)

Remember to let them know that we would include their name/logo in all promotional materials for the event.

Also, there will be an event tonight that you should try to make it to if you can:

A Night for the Women of the Congo
TONIGHT, Tuesday 3/3
7-9 pm
Meacham Auditorium in the Union

After the presentation, documentary, and vigil, we will also have t-shirts and handmade bags made by Congolese survivors of rape for sale. The money raised goes directly back to the women of the DRC to aid in their recovery. T-shirts are $10 and bags are $20.

Come make a difference for the Women of the Congo. Hope to see you there!

General Meeting March 1, 2009

2009-03-01T22:52:00.001-06:00

Introduction
Meet and Greet/Sign In

Old Business

Valentine’s Day Fundraiser - We raised $166, see photos at www.flickr.com/photos/ouamnesty
Budget
Vagina Monologues – tabling

Elections
Set Election Dates for next year's officers (March 29th, 7pm)

Groovefest
“Human Rights Here and Now”
Sunday, April 26th, 2009 in Andrews Park (201 W. Daws)

State Meeting
Draft Workplan & sign up for tasks

Urgent Action Network
Sign Letters for UA cases

Weapons in Gaza
Women in the DRC
OPIM in Mexico

Added Items
Groovefest Vendor Prices

Close Meeting
Next meeting will be a State Conference Planning Meeting - Sunday, March 8th at 7pm, location TBA

News and Updates - lots of events this week!

2009-02-22T11:35:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone,

There are a lot of events coming up this week that I wanted to let you know about. First off, we will be having a Groovefest planning meeting today at 2pm in the Will Rogers room of the Union (next to the food court). Our next General Meeting will be Sunday, March 1st at 7pm - location TBA.

Creating for the Women of the DRC
For this week's V-day events, the Norman Women's Collective will be putting together an installation piece in the South Oval for the women of the DRC. They are meeting today at 5pm at 783 Debarr (aka "Universe City") to work on the project. "Please bring art supplies, glitter, all kinds of paper, fabric, boxes to make into cell phones and laptops, canned food cans, and creative ideas about creating the following: Bricks of "gold", "silver", and other "metals", diamonds and gemstones, flowing water, and lumber/timber."

The Vagina Monologues
The Women's Outreach Center will be hosting the 2009 edition of the Vagina Monologues at OU. We will be tabling at the Vagina Monologues this Monday and Tuesday (February 23rd and 24th) from 6-7pm in the hallway in front of Meacham Auditorium. We still need volunteers to sit at the tables and help get the supplies from my house to the events. It would also be great if someone could help writing Urgent Action letters on this issue. "Suggested donation of $5 with personal care item for Women's Resource Center or $7 without. The Vagina Monolgues will be preceded with a performance of "Still That Girl" by Ella Rhodes. V-Day, a non-profit corporation, distributes funds to grassroots, national and international organizations and programs that work to stop violence against women and girls. For more info visit www.vday.org"

Women's Studies Activist-in-Residence
This week Igballe Rogova, the Executive Director of Kosova Women's Network, will be visiting OU as the Women's Studies Activist in Residence. The Women's Studies department is hosting a series of events around her visit:
Wednesday, February 25th 7pm-9pm: "Calling the Ghosts" Film, a story about Rape, War, and Women in the Balkans. This event will be held in the Women's Studies lounge in the Physical Sciences center 530.
Thursday, February 26th 10:30am-12pm: Symposium lecture "Europe's Newest State: Women's Organizations, Democratization, & the Politics of Peace in Kosovo" OMU Scholars Room
Thursday, February 26th 2pm-3:30pm: Workshop with Rogova "From One Activist to Another: learning lessons from activism around the world" OMU Weitzenhoffer Room
Thursday, February 26th 5pm-7pm: Reception Honoring Igballe Rogova - Recognition of Igballe Rogova as the WS Activist-in-Residence 2009 OMU David L. Boren Lounge
Friday, February 27th 9am-11am: Breakfast with Rogova - a personal breakfast with an international women's rights activist. Women's Studies Lounge, Physical Sciences Center 530.

"Intelligence and Torture" Panel Discussion
The Center for Middle East Studies & International Programs will present a panel discussion, "Intelligence and Torture" with Staff Sergeant Eric Maddox, author of "Mission: Blacklist # 1" and panelists Dr. David Edger and Dr. Christopher Howard. The panel discussion is open to the public and will be held on Thursday, February 26, 2009 from 4:30pm - 5:30pm in the Gaylord College of Journalism library. "Join us in an open discussion with Staff Sergeant Maddox about his key role in the capture of Saddam Hussein and the controversy between violent and non-violent interrogation methods." The panel will be moderated by Dr. John Fishel.

Thanks guys and see you soon! As always, call/email if you have any questions

Sarah

News and Updates

2009-02-11T23:40:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody,

We've got a lot going on so here's the latest:

Groovefest Theme and Call for Artists
We will be having a brief meeting tomorrow (Thursday February 12th) at 7pm in the Sooner Room of the Union to vote on the theme for Groovefest and finalize our call for artists so that we can start publicizing that this weekend and get those fliers out ASAP.

COSO (Council of Student Organizations) Meeting
Anyone interested in taking on a leadership role in Amnesty next year should try to attend the COSO meeting tomorrow from 5-7pm in the Associates and Regents Room of the Union. It is mandatory for student organizations who want funding from UOSA (which is our main source of funds!). They will be talking about the budget process for getting funding from the school, among other important logistical things.

Valentine's Day Fundraiser
Thanks to everyone who has volunteered to help with this fundraiser, it looks like it's going to be great! We will start setting up at 11am so if you want to be part of the set up crew show up then and I might even make you breakfast. Anyone bringing things to sell should try to arrive between 1 and 1:30 so we can have all the tables set up by 2. If anyone has extra folding tables or tablecloths and could lend them for the day, we could use a few more. We have some craft supplies for DIY valentines but if anyone has extra glue/paint/paper etc and would like to donate we could use more of that as well.

High School Visits
We got a last minute invitation to give a presentation at Norman High School today. Will and I talked to a group of about 25 students about Amnesty and invited them to come to our events and start a chapter of their own if they're interested. A couple of students from the Young Democrats and Global Awareness clubs asked if we would be willing to also give presentations to their groups, which usually meet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If anyone is interesed in coordinating these visits let me know.

As always, email/call/text me if you have any questions.

Sarah

buttonmaking and flier posting today

2009-02-07T11:23:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry I forgot to send this earlier - the warm weather must have gone straight to my head. For anyone who hasn't gotten it through the grapevine, we will be meeting today at 2pm at my house (816 S. Lahoma Ave) to make buttons and post fliers for our Valentine's Day fundraiser. Thanks to Danny & Our Earth for lending the buttonmaker. Bring any art supplies you want to use for buttons and tape or tacks if you can.

If you can't make it at that time but still want to put some fliers up or make buttons, we might do another round on Sunday. Just call/text/email/facebook me if you want to pick up fliers or make buttons on Sunday.

More updates soon.

Sarah

Upcoming schedule and Human Rights events this week

2009-02-03T00:14:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone,

This email is to catch you up on a couple of things. First, for anyone who is interested in participating in visits to local high schools to invite them to get involved in Amnesty and Groovefest, we are having a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 8:30pm in the Bookmark cafe, located in the basement of Bizzell Library, to plan what we want to present and who we can get in contact with. If any of you have recommendations for teachers or administrators at Oklahoma high schools we should contact, please pass their names along.

New Updates on Calendar
At the last meeting we set a tentative schedule for the rest of the semester. It is posted on the calendar on our blog (ouamnesty.blogspot.com). Since we will be doing a lot of fundraising and preparation leading up to our two big events in April, we will probably be meeting frequently and irregularly so check back often to stay in the loop.

Also, there are several events happening on campus this week related to human rights.

Gaza: A Panel Discussion
Tuesday, February 3, from 4:00-5:30 in Meacham Auditorium, the Sooners for Peace in Palestine, Hillel, and Muslim Student Association will host a panel discussion on recent events in Gaza. Panelists include Dr. Norman Stillman, Dr. Maurice Roumani, Dr. Joshua Landis, and Dr. Husam Mohamad.

Norman Human Rights Commission "Inclusive Community Discussion"
The University of Oklahoma, Norman Human Rights Commission, City of Norman and Norman Chamber of Commerce are hosting an "Inclusive Community Discussion" at 6:30pm in the Oklahoma Memorial Union (the advertisement did not specify a room but it should be on the Union schedule posted in the hallways). They have specifically invited OU students to attend this discussion.

"What we hope to provide again at this second Inclusive Community Discussion is a safe and respectful place for people to discuss whether we are a community that is genuinely open to the participation and opinions of all of our residents," said Mayor Cindy Rosenthal, who is also a member of the OU faculty. Some of the issues to be discussed are public safety, transportation, housing, employment, and the business and shopping environment. "A central goal is to identify those areas where we can make Norman a more welcoming community."

Urgent Action Network
We received another Urgent Action today about a prominent human rights lawyer in China who is being held incommunicado in an unknown location. You can read the printable version of the report here:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa02409.pdf

You'll get another email soon about Groovefest, State Conference updates, and our Valentine's Day fundraiser.

As always, call me if you have any questions/concerns or if you want something to do!

See you soon,
Sarah

Groovefest Vendors

2009-02-01T15:33:00.002-06:00

Okay, guys,

I have been working hard to get stuff ready so we can get lots of vendors this year at Groovefest. When I went through the pile of papers we got from the Groovefest committee, I found contact information for 15 former vendors and 11 non-profit groups. I also looked up contact info for many non-profit advocacy groups at OU and added them to the list.

I will post the list to the Blog so that everyone can look at it and add to it if they come up with more ideas. We probably have enough in the way of non-profits, but we could definitely use some more vendors and artists, especially since we probably won't be able to convince every person we contact, even if they have come in the past.

Should we just charge one price for all vendors, regardless of whether they are selling artwork or “crafts”? It seems there is a fuzzy line between the two – last year they charged a henna artist/palm reader the artist price and charged a guy who made tie-dyed tee shirts the vendor price. Maybe one price for food sales and one price for everything else? Non-profits should still be free, of course.

I am going to need help contacting these people, I think. What do you guys think we should do: send emails, call, go in person? All three? For anyone who wants to help, I would write up an example schpiel that you could use when calling people.

There is a scrap of paper that says "Noise Ordinance". Do we need one of these, or any other permits for selling things or having music?

Could we ourselves sell things at Groovefest if we are already selling the t-shirts? We could raise money to help cover the Flobots that way. Maybe food, etc?

Anyway, it's stuff to think about. See you guys later!
Katie B.

News and Updates

2009-01-30T19:55:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone,

Our next meeting will be this Sunday, February 1st at 7pm in the Associates Room of the Union. Bring your chalk if you have it and have time to chalk sidewalks afterwards.

Counter Terror with Justice
You guys may have noticed that since Obama got elected he's been doing all kinds of neat stuff like issuing executive orders to ban torture and close Guantanamo. We can do more chalking or work out a campaign on this soon if we want to. You can read more about Amnesty's 100 days campaigns on their home page: http://www.amnestyusa.org/

Statewide Conference
In case you haven't heard, we pushed the date for our statewide conference back to April, probably the 18th. I have been communicating with Rosa Clemente, the who was the Cynthia McKinney's Vice Presidential candidate for the Green Party in this last election. I think she would be a really good speaker, she is available for the date and she is interested in coming to OU. The problem is we don't have any money from the Speaker's Bureau to pay her way here. So, if you know of a department here on campus, an organization, or anyone who would contribute to funding this, or if you want to help fill out the applications, please let me know ASAP. If we're going to get her here we need to finalize it in the next week. If you want to know more about her, check out her www.myspace.com/rosaclemente (her website doesn't seem to be working). If you have any other suggestions for speakers, workshops, or faculty who should be involved, let me know.

Groovefest
Andrews Park has been reserved so we have officially set a date for Groovefest for April 26th. At the last meeting we set tentative due dates for artwork and band submissions (Friday, March 6th) and emcee tryouts (Saturday, March 7th). This Sunday we need to finalize the details on our call for artists so we can get our publicity and fundraising going.

Valentine's Day Fundraiser
At our last couple of meetings we have been brainstorming about a Valentine's Day fundraiser to get donations toward AI and our group funds (the latter of which will go mainly to Groovefest and our Statewide Conference in April). So far we have come up with a bake-sale/art show/craft fair/yard sale with music and party pics. I think if we get even a third of that to happen we should be able to make some money and have a great time. But, we need to finalize who/what/when on Sunday.

Gaza/Israel
Amnesty has researchers currently on the ground in Gaza. You can keep up to date with their findings on the Amnesty USA home page here: http://www.amnestyusa.org/

Please refer to this link to get information on the crisis in Gaza, recommended actions, and available resources:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdf/gazaaction.pdf

Urgent Action
Larry Swearingen was granted a stay of execution by the US Court of Appeals this week. We don't need to take any further action right now. For the details, you can see the UA update at the bottom of this email.

That's all for now, as always, call me if you have any questions.

See you soon!
Sarah

__________________________________________________
27 January 2009

Further information on UA 17/09 (21 January 2009) – Death penalty / Legal concern

USA (Texas) Larry Ray Swearingen (m), white, aged 37

Larry Swearingen was granted a stay of execution on 26 January 2009 by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the federal court one level below the US Supreme Court with jurisdiction over Texas cases. He was scheduled to be put to death in Texas on the evening of 27 January 2009.

Larry Swearingen was sentenced to death in 2000 for the murder of Melissa Trotter in 1998. Melissa Trotter went missing on 8 December 1998. Larry Swearingen was arrested three days later, and has been incarcerated ever since. The body of Melissa Trotter was found in a forest on 2 January 1999. Larry Swearingen was tried for her murder, and sentenced to death.

He maintains his innocence of the murder. Several forensic experts have provided statements and testimony that support his claim. One of these experts, Dr Joye Carter, is the former Chief Medical Examiner of Harris County in Texas who performed the autopsy of Melissa Trotter and testified at Larry Swearingen’s trial that in her opinion, Melissa Trotter had died 25 days before her body was found. In an affidavit signed in 2007, Dr Carter stated that she had looked again at the case and changed her opinion. She concluded that Melissa Trotter’s body had been left in the forest within two weeks of it being found.
If accurate, this would mean that the body was dumped at a time when Larry Swearingen was
already in custody. Other experts have stated that the body may have been left in the
woods only a few days before it was found (see original UA).

The Fifth Circuit panel did not address the merits of Larry Swearingen’s innocence claims,
but only considered whether they were sufficient to overcome the obstacles under federal
law preventing the court from authorizing the filing of a successive habeas corpus petition
in the lower District Court. Under this federal statute, the prisoner must show that "(i)
the factual predicate for the claim could not have been discovered previously through the
exercise of due diligence; and (ii) the facts underlying the claim, if proven and viewed in
light of the evidence as a whole, would be sufficient to establish by clear and convincing
evidence that, but for constitutional error, no reasonable fact-finder would have found the
applicant guilty of the underlying offense."

The Fifth Circuit said that there were "two independent gates" through which a motion to
file a successive petition must pass before the merits of the prisoner’s claim will be
addressed. First, the Fifth Circuit would have to determine whether the motion made a
prima facie (on first sight) case that the above requirements of the federal statute were
met, including that there is "a sufficient showing of possible merit to warrant a fuller
exploration by the District Court." Secondly, once the case was remanded to the District
Court, the latter would also have to determine whether the requirements of the federal
statute had been met before it could address the merits of the successive petition.

The Fifth Circuit court held that "given the importance of Dr Carter’s expert testimony to
the State’s case, we find that Swearingen has made a prima facie showing that but for the
constitutional error of the State sponsoring the false testimony of Dr Carter, no
reasonable juror could find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." The constitutional
precedent on this issue is the 1972 Supreme Court ruling in Giglio v. United States. The
Fifth Circuit also found that Larry Swearingen had made a prime facie case that his legal
representation at trial had been constitutionally deficient, including in cross-examining
Dr Carter. Here the precedent is Strickland v. Washington (1984). The Fifth Circuit panel
therefore authorized Larry Swearingen to file a successive habeas corpus petition in the
District Court limited to these issues. The court stressed that "this grant is
tentative" in that the District Court "must dismiss" the petition, "without reaching
the merits," if that court were to find that Swearingen had not satisfied the federal
statutory requirements relating to successive petitions.

One of the three Fifth Circuit judges wrote a separate, concurring opinion. He said that
he wished to address "the elephant that I perceive in the corner of this room: actual
innocence." Judge Jacques Wiener continued: "Consistently repeating the mantra that, to
date, the Supreme Court of the United States has never expressly recognized actual
innocence as a basis for habeas corpus relief in a death penalty case, this court has
uniformly rejected stand-alone claims of actual innocence as a constitutional ground for
prohibiting imposition of the death penalty." Judge Wiener noted, however, that the
Supreme Court had made certain statements that "at least strongly signal that, under the
right circumstances, it might add those capital defendants who are actually innocent to the
list of persons who – like the insane, the mentally retarded, and the very young – are
constitutionally ineligible for the death penalty."

Judge Wiener said that could foresee the "real possibility" that the District Court might
interpret the expert forensic opinion as clear and convincing evidence that Larry
Swearingen could not possibly have killed Melissa Trotter and yet still "find it
impossible to force the actual-innocence camel through the eye of either the Giglio or
Strickland needle, and thus have no choice but to deny habeas relief to an actually
innocent person." As such, Judge Wiener suggested, Swearingen’s predicament might be
"the very case" for the full Fifth Circuit Court or the US Supreme Court to "recognize
actual innocence as a ground for federal habeas relief." He concluded that "to me, this
question is a brooding omnipresence in capital habeas jurisprudence that has been left
unanswered for too long."

There have been five executions in the USA this year, three of them in Texas. Since
executions resumed in 1977, there have been 1,141 executions in the USA, 426 of them in
Texas. Among those who have been put to death by the state are people whose guilt was in
doubt to the end. Since 1977, more than 100 people have been released from death rows in
the USA on grounds of innocence. The average time between being sentenced to death and
exoneration in these cases was nearly 10 years.

No further action by the UA Network is requested at present.
Many thanks to all who sent appeals.

Urgent Action - Death Penalty case in Texas

2009-01-26T13:37:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone,

If you have access to a fax machine you should write letters to the Governor and Board of Pardons and Paroles in Texas about the case of Larry Swearingen. He's scheduled to be executed tomorrow so the appeals should be sent by the end of the day today. You can get a printer-friendly version of the Urgent Action here: http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa01709.pdf

Our next meeting will be this Sunday, February 1st at 7pm in the Associates Room of the Union. More updates coming soon.

Stay warm and safe!

Sarah

21 January 2009

UA 17/09 - Death penalty / Legal concern

USA (Texas) Larry Ray Swearingen (m), white, aged 37

Larry Swearingen is scheduled to be executed in Texas on 27 January. He was sentenced to death in 2000 for the murder of Melissa Trotter in 1998. He maintains his innocence of the murder. Several forensic experts have provided statements and testimony supportive of his claim.

Melissa Trotter went missing on 8 December 1998. Larry Swearingen was arrested three days later, and has been incarcerated ever since. The body of Melissa Trotter was found in a forest on 2 January 1999. Larry Swearingen was tried for her murder, and sentenced to death.

On 14 January 2009, Larry Swearingen's lawyers filed an appeal in the US Supreme Court to stay his execution on grounds of innocence. The petition argues that "the State's only theory of guilt, which was that Mr. Swearingen killed the victim and left her body in the forest on December 8, 1998, twenty-five (25) days before the corpse was recovered on January 2, 1999, is not just implausible, it is utterly impossible." The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the motion for a stay of execution.

In support of this innocence claim, the petition cites the opinions of three current or former Chief Medical Examiners and another forensic pathologist. One of these experts, Dr Joye Carter, is the former Chief Medical Examiner of Harris County in Texas who performed the autopsy of Melissa Trotter and testified at Larry Swearingen's trial. At the trial she had testified that in her opinion, Melissa Trotter's death had occurred 25 days before her body was found. In an affidavit signed in 2007, Dr Carter stated that she had looked again at the case and changed her opinion. She stated that she had reviewed the autopsy report and photographs and also "several pieces of forensically important information that, to the best of my recollection, were not made available to [me] during trial or pretrial proceedings." This information included video footage of the crime scene taken on the day Melissa Trotter was found, medical records giving Melissa Trotter's weight immediately prior to her disappearance, and the temperature data for the area in which she was found for the period 8 December 1998 to 2 January 1999.

In her affidavit, Dr Carter concluded that Melissa Trotter's body had been left in the forest within two weeks of it being found. If accurate, this would mean that the body was dumped at a time when Larry Swearingen was already in custody. Another forensic pathologist, and former Chief Medical Examiner for Nueces County, Texas, Dr Lloyd White, has given a written statement that he supports Dr Carter's conclusions based on her 2007 re-evaluation of the evidence. He also agrees with Dr Gerald Larkin, another forensic expert, who concluded that "Ms Trotter's body was exposed in the wood for several days only, and not for two or three weeks". Dr White states that there is strong support for the conclusion that the body was left in the woods "at least one week after Mr. Swearingen was incarcerated on December 11, 1998, and probably more than two weeks after".

The petition to the Supreme Court argues that the post-conviction expert evidence amounts to "uncontested forensic pathology showing that Mr. Swearingen could not possibly have been the person who killed the victim. The only way to convict would be for the jury to conclude that Mr. Swearingen had an accomplice who stored the body so it would not decompose and disposed of it later. That, however, is speculation so rank that the State has never even proposed it. Indeed, it collides with the State's insistence at all stages of proceedings that no one but Mr. Swearingen killed the victim and threw her into the woods".

Larry Swearingen has repeatedly sought full DNA testing of crime scene evidence. According to the appeal before the US Supreme Court, "the DNA analysis that the State has conducted so far is compelling evidence that Mr. Swearingen is innocent. State examiners found male blood under the victim's fingernails. Testing excluded Mr. Swearingen as the donor." The petition also notes that at an evidentiary hearing in 2008, a co-worker of Melissa Trotter had testified that, only weeks before her disappearance, another man had "made serious threats to rape and strangle the victim".

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Texas continues to account for a large number of the USA's executions. Of the 1,138 people put to death nationwide since 1977 when executions resumed in the USA, 424 have been in Texas. There have been two executions in the USA so far this year: one in Texas, one in Alabama.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases, unconditionally. To end the death penalty is to abandon a destructive, diversionary and divisive public policy that is not consistent with widely held values. It not only runs the risk of irrevocable error, it is also costly, to the public purse as well as in social and psychological terms. It has not been proved to have a special deterrent effect. It tends to be applied in a discriminatory way, on grounds of race and class. It denies the possibility of reconciliation and rehabilitation. It promotes simplistic responses to complex human problems, rather than pursuing explanations that could inform positive strategies. It prolongs the suffering of the murder victim's family, and extends that suffering to the loved ones of the condemned prisoner. It diverts resources that could be better used to work against violent crime and assist those affected by it. It is a symptom of a culture of violence, not a solution to it. It is an affront to human dignity. It should be abolished.

Today, some 138 countries are abolitionist in law or practice. In 2007, the UN General Assembly called for a moratorium on executions worldwide and for retentionist countries to work towards abolition.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible (please include Larry Swearingen's prisoner number, #999361, in appeals):
- expressing sympathy for the family and friends of Melissa Trotter and explaining that you are not seeking to condone the manner of her death or to downplay the suffering caused;
- opposing the execution of Larry Swearingen;
- noting that several forensic experts, including the former Harris Country Chief Medical Examiner, who performed the autopsy of Melissa Trotter and testified at the trial, have provided expert opinion supportive of Larry Swearingen's claim of innocence;
- calling for Larry Swearingen's execution to be halted and his death sentence to be commuted;
- at a minimum calling on the Governor to stop the execution and allow full DNA testing to be conducted.

APPEALS TO:
Rissie L. Owens
Presiding Officer, Board of Pardons and Paroles
Executive Clemency Section
8610 Shoal Creek Boulevard
Austin, TX 78757
Fax: 1 512 467 0945
Salutation: Dear Ms. Owens

Governor Rick Perry
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428
Fax: 1 512 463 1849
Salutation: Dear Governor

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY
All appeals must arrive before 27 January, 2009