Hi John,
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a motion to block Lamar
Johnson's chance at freedom -- an innocent Black man that has been locked
up for a crime he did not commit. Lamar has been in a cage for 24
years. We need to move quickly. A Missouri judge will hear Lamar's appeal
for a new trial in just 4 days.
[ [link removed] ]Tell Attorney General Schmitt: Immediately end this obstruction of
justice and defend Lamar's right to a new trial NOW.
Until justice is real,
--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika Clarise, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena,
Madison, Leonard, Tamar, Neosho, and the rest of the Color of Change team
P.S. Read our email below for more information about Lamar's case.
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Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is blocking Lamar Johnson, an
innocent Black man, from reuniting with his family.
Demand Attorney General Eric Schmitt defend Lamar's right to a new
trial.
[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Dear John,
The Missouri Attorney General is stopping Lamar Johnson, an innocent Black
man, from reuniting with his family.
In 1995, Lamar Johnson was falsely accused, wrongly convicted and
sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. More than
two decades later, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner discovered
multiple instances of prosecutorial misconduct in Lamar’s case including
the bribing of the prosecution’s key eyewitness, who later recanted his
testimony.^2
Now as part of an effort to right the wrongs of tough-on-crimes policies,
Kim Gardner has petitioned the courts to hear the evidence of innocence
and grant Lamar a new trial. But Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is
BLOCKING Lamar's new trial and release. Schmitt claims that Gardner has no
authority as a prosecutor to correct a miscarriage of justice and that the
state technically cannot request a new trial for a defendant.^3 This is
morally reprehensible — why wouldn't he want to support freeing an
innocent man?
It’s time for Schmitt to stop playing political games with people’s
lives. That is why we are demanding that Schmitt immediately end his
efforts to block Gardner’s motion for a new trial and reverse course by
joining hundreds of community advocates and legal experts in securing
Johnson’s freedom.
[ [link removed] ]Tell Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt: Defend Lamar Johnson's
freedom
It is not unusual for police officers to manipulate the evidence in order
to lock Black people away. We have seen police officers and prosecutors
coercing false confessions, tampering with evidence, and lying under oath
all to keep Black people in cages. From the infamous case involving the
Exonerated Five to more recently, Dontae Sharpe, a Black man wrongly
convicted and incarcerated for two decades -- it is no secret that law
enforcement will go to extraordinary and even unethical lengths to harm
Black people. This blatant abuse of power needs to be addressed and
stopped.
In Lamar’s case, the claims were downright ridiculous. The state suggested
that Lamar miraculously left his friend's apartment, traveled three miles
to commit murder, and traveled back -- all under 5 minutes.^4 Most
shockingly, Johnson was not even released after the men actually
responsible for the crime came forward and confessed, both in 1996 and
2002.^5 The racist criminal justice system in Missouri has essentially
robbed Lamar of his life and promising future. There are literally
hundreds (if not thousands) of falsely accused people locked up in cages.
However, in the past three years, there have only been 13 exonerations in
Missouri.^6
The last thing AG Eric Schmitt should be doing is blocking any attempt to
free this Black man. Gardner should be commended not bullied for her
efforts. We need more elected officials doing the right thing and
addressing the harm of mass incarceration, especially in the cases of
those who are innocent.
[ [link removed] ]Sign now to demand Lamar Johnson’s freedom
All across the country, prosecutors are using conviction review units
(CRUs) to free people from prison. For instance, as a result of the
State’s Attorney’s Kim Foxx's investigation of prosecutorial misconduct,
nearly 40 incarcerated people have been reunited with their families.^7 In
the same vein, AG Schmitt can now correct the mistakes made by the
criminal legal system 2 decades ago-- he can help reunite Lamar with his
loved ones and return him to his beloved community. Lamar should not have
to wait another day in prison.
[ [link removed] ]Justice means bringing Lamar home. Demand AG Schmitt put an immediate
end to this obstruction.
Until justice is real,
--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika Clarise, Malachi, Marybeth, Marena,
Madison, Leonard, Tamar, Neosho, and the rest of the Color of Change team
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References:
1. [ [link removed] ]"To win a murder conviction, police and prosecutors made up
evidence and secretly paid a witness, St Louis DA finds." The
Washington Post, 26 July 2019.
2. Ibid.
3. [ [link removed] ]"Missouri AG looks to block efforts to free Lamar Johnson, saying
Gardner does not have the authority." KMOV4 News, 1 November 2019.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. [ [link removed] ]The National Registry of Exonerations. 8 November 2019.
7. [ [link removed] ]The National Registry of Exonerations. 8 November 2019.
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[ [link removed] ]Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. [ [link removed] ]Help
keep our movement strong.
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