A Prayer For Those That Are Alone

For those who are alone*

Gracious God, so many of your children are alone in this world. They face each day and night with the aching knowledge that they have no one else, and wonder if anyone will remember them after they're gone. I pray that your great love will comfort the hearts of those with no helper, no advocate. Assure them of their worth and fill them with the peace that only you can give. I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.

Innocent Young Man Serves 16 Years Before Being Freed

Report SLAMS COPS, & PROSECUTORS IN SLAY CASE

Innocent Man Spent 16 Years in Prison.

BY JIM FITZGERALD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Thursday, July 5th 2007, 4:00 AM

A report on the wrongful murder conviction of a Westchester man who spent 16 years in prison sharply criticized police and prosecutors in the case.

The report by a panel of judges and criminal lawyers said police and prosecutors fixed on the then-schoolboy suspect as the killer long before they should have and refused to be dissuaded by DNA and other evidence.

And once he was imprisoned, former Westchester District Attorney Jeanine Pirro repeatedly refused his requests for new tests on the crime scene DNA, extending his unwarranted imprisonment, the report says.

The report, requested by current Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore, examines the case of Jeffrey Deskovic, who was convicted in 1990 of raping and killing a high school classmate.

Deskovic, now 34, was cleared and released last year after DiFiore agreed to run the crime scene DNA through the system and came up with a match to a man already imprisoned for murder; that man confessed.

The report, while finding no malice or illegality, sharply criticizes the prosecution of Deskovic on several grounds, especially the "tunnel vision" that kept investigators from looking beyond Deskovic.

It said detectives got a false confession by interrogating Deskovic "in a manner that improperly exploited his youth, naivete and psychological vulnerability." They then stopped investigating.

Prosecutors took the case to a grand jury before the DNA evidence was in, and when it came in they "developed strained and shifting theories to explain that evidence away," the report said.

The defense did not capitalize on the DNA evidence, the report said, and ( failed to introduce evidence that might have helped jurors understand why Deskovic would confess to a crime he did not commit.)

"The entire system failed Mr. Deskovic," DiFiore said, "the police, the prosecutors, his defense attorneys, and of course we can never ever bring those years back to Mr. Deskovic."

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2007/07/05/2007-07-05_report_slams_cops_prosecutors_in_slay_ca-1.html

If I Could Go Back: By Amber Riley

If I Could Go Back:

I've spent 6 years fighting my case to prove my innocence and to try to save my life. The fight has really taken it's toll on my family and filled us all with strife.
I was only 16 and now I am almost 22. I pray that this is something you never go through.
I tried so hard to make my parents proud, now I hide my face when I stand in a crowd.
Take this cup from me and please let it pass.I was doing so well, was the best in my class.
I made a poor choice of friends ones that were hateful and cruel, they say maybe thiis is because I was bullied in school.
I pray with all my heart and soul that i make it back home. That I am afraid of too, this place now is all I know.
They want to give me life . To make an example out of me and they fail to notice I was just a teen.
They do not care about my good deeds, my grades, or me working so hard to always please.
They do not know how I saved strays, or that I was a volunteered at my church.
As I am now just a number,no face and no name, i sit in this system and i pray to be saved.
The few women I get close to either turn or go home. It is so scarey to feel so alone.
Will I one day be free to make a life of my own? To marry a good man have a family and house of my own? Or am I going to spend the rest of my life like this? Everyday feels like a test. I can't remember a full night of rest.
I love the rain yet I haven't felt it in years, the closest I get is my own salty tears.
I love animals and always did my best to save them, now I know first hand how cruel it is to cage them.
I don't want to be some example, statistic or even a check in some lawyer's deep pockets.
I want to reclaim my life and clear my name not live a life of a horrible fame.
Not even money to buy my way out, post bail,or pay an Attorney, as I hit my knees each night I wonder if God even hears me.
I don't want to live my life like a convict or crook, I know I should have been with my nose in a book.
I know how it feels to be lost and alone and it hurts even more knowing my parents don't have a home.They dedicated their lives to bring their baby girl back,they have lost it all except some bills in a stack.
I hope that young girls and boys alike too,that you never sit in a cell like I do with no one to trust not a cop nor a friend. When people go home you never know if you'll see them again.
Maybe I too am an Angel with broken wings who tried to grow up to fast, like the Devil's Puppet on strings.
If I could go back I'd change it all, do it over. Maybe next time I won't hand my life over.
++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ ++
By Amber Rose Riley 12/4/08 (Age 22)

++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++*She was Convicted March 30th of 1st degree Murder, after her Conflict panel attorney rested with not 1< witness for her defense,she also was told not to take the stand*On May 22nd she will be sentenced, the Mandatory sentence in california is 25 to life

Comment To Article On Amber

Nov 6, 2010
I am Anonymous I have no face...just a point of view, from the time and place of such workings.
i knew the both of them, jason was also known as "Demon" and amber was my best friend for

three years...we were so close...she was innocent, i have an ability for reading people, he was

a demented young man who tortured and killed animals, her on the other hand helped save

rescue lost and abused animals, she was a kind person, and would never harm anyone, no one

really tried to even listen to my story and yet i was suspected of being an accomplice, amber

never really listened to metal, and allegations of this are un-true, i think frank mitchell is one

of the only ones who believe the truth, I am very sorry for the family(of terry)loss, but

spouting blatant hate and blind fury is not going to help any, and this heaven /hell nonsense

is really un-necessary, i knew him as well, and except for being kinda slow he was ok but also

it was a jealous rage with Jason harris he wanted Amber Riley and she like Terry, I wont go

into details, but Jason Abused Amber and just because she was big for her age doesnt mean

anything she was still a naiive teenager and amber was no ringleader, he did it to terry and

made her watch, and threatened her and her family, Even apparently Myself, after the second

time he went to jail(8months) he quickly started to lose it, and during the 2-4 months before

the murder she started even trying to keep her from me, and Amber and I were very close,

like a real brother and sister, not in a romantic way, we werent each other types, but anyway

he started becoming way too posessive and she wanted for us to get rid of him, make him go

away, not in a killing him sense but just to leave us alone and i was also the last few months

more or less starting to venture out and make friends and have a life outside of her but up

untill the murder I didnt really see a change except for maybe being scared and wanting to

go home here and there, she was not the monster everyone thinks she is Jason on the other

will tell you he is and he enjoyed it, he was a self proclaimed satanist and anitchrist of this

generation, she was a sweet young thing and if she actually did it or had a part in it other

than being a frightened spectator then she was a good actess and played us all for fools,

and jasons mother one way or the other is deluded and full of lies, she is a fanatical christian

after all, and yes jasons younger brothers and sisters were good kids and hopefully will never

follow in his steps. dont try to find me, dont try to even guess who I am, it doesnt matter, ALL

that does matter is a point of view. AND just because your not christian and are an athiest or

pagan or whatever does not mean you have no morals or honor.
I have much Information that was left out of the case, not that anyone cared. peace be with

you all.
-----------

In Memory Of Two Young Men Texas Executed For Crimes Committed As Juveniles

Saturday, August 10 2002 @ 09:44 PM UTC


From: Rick Halperin

Aug. 8

TEXAS------juvenile execution

Texas man convicted of murder at 17 executed

An 8th-grade dropout who was a teenager when he was convicted of killing an East Texas man during a carjacking more than 8 years ago apologized for the crime and was executed today.

"I would like to say to the victim's family I regret the pain I put y'all through. I hope you can move on after this," T.J. Jones said, looking at relatives of his victim.

Then Jones, 25, turned to a second window where his mother was watching and said, "Mom, I love y'all. Take care. I'm ready."

He gasped and stopped breathing. Jones was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m., 7 minutes after the lethal dose began. His mother sobbed quietly and was comforted by Jones' aunt.

Jones was 17 when he was arrested with 3 companions for gunning down 75-year-old retired electrician Willard Davis, who had surrendered his car to them outside his home in Longview, about 190 miles north of Houston.

"They tried to make him get in the back seat and he said: 'No. Here's my car. Please let me go to my wife,'" recalled Alfonso Charles, an assistant district attorney in Gregg County who helped prosecute Jones. "And T.J. shot him right between the eyes."

Jones' lawyers filed no late appeals to try to halt the punishment.

"He has exhausted his remedies," attorney Don Davidson said.

Jones' sentence and his age at the time of the shooting renewed criticism from traditional death penalty opponents. As a teenage offender, Jones "would not be facing this punishment in almost any other country in the world," Amnesty International said in a statement.

"He's not a juvenile," Gregg County District Attorney Bill Jennings responded. "Under Texas law he is an adult and he's in an adult system. "He did an adult crime and he deserves to receive an adult penalty, which in this case 12 jurors decided should be death."

Texas is among 22 states that allow capital punishment for 17-year-olds.

Jones was the 12th Texas inmate and the 20th in the United States executed since 1976 for a murder committed when the killer was younger than 18. In May, and with much greater outcry from capital punishment opponents, Napoleon Beazley received lethal injection in Texas for killing the father of a federal judge. Beazley was 17 at the time of the crime.

http://www.infoshop.org/prisons/public_html/article.php?story=02/08/10/1092428&query=

Lacresha Murray - Another Child Locked Away

Another Child Locked Away(11 Years Old)
Lacresha Murray - Another Child Locked Away
by Diana Block
Lacresha Murray is a Black thirteen-year-old child who was convicted of negligent homicide and injury to a child. She was eleven years old when she was sentenced to 25 years! There was no physical evidence, no reasonable explanation of opportunity or motive, no witnesses and no history of violence, yet this young girl is now spending her days in a juvenile prison in Giddings, Texas.
The case is based on a so-called confession from Lacresha, which was obtained by Austin, Texas, police during a lengthy, illicit interrogation. Months before her
trial, against juvenile law and State Bar rules, Austin D.A. Ronnie Earle announced Lacresha's identity and pronounced her guilty in a televised news conference. The media, without any investigation, headlined her as guilty as charged for two solid months, eliminating any possibility of a fair trial. By framing and imprisoning Lacresha, Earle got national attention and right-before-election proof that he was tough on crime.
Lacresha's case highlights the growing trend of the criminal injustice system to lock children up at ever younger ages for increasing amounts of time. This trend impacts most heavily on communities of color, which are being ripped apart by this devastating combination of police, court and prison attacks. For more information about Lacresha's case, contact People of the Heart, P.O. Box 2585, Cedar Park, TX 78630-2585, 512-707-3743, www.peopleoftheheart.org. Send donations to People of the Heart, Acct. 1888322466, Bank One Texas, Bank by Mail, Station H, 1901 Parkwood, Bedford, TX 76021.
http://www.womenprisoners.org/fire/000430.html

When a Child is Too Young to Realize All Rights Are Being Violated

When a Child is Too Young to Realize All Rights Are Being Violated
Amber Riley was a normal teenage girl who had just turned 16. She was working part time, attending school and just hanging out with her friends and dog Burkage. She states her nightmare began when a friend of hers, Jason Lamar Harris murdered another friend of hers Terry Ray Taylor in a brutal stabbing back in 2003, in Perris Hill in San Bernardino, California. Amber was also charged with the murder of Taylor.

It was a gruesome murder that received much media attention due to the fact that the two allegedly recited the words of a song by heavy metal band, SlipKnot called "Disasterpiece" which has lyrics resembling the nature of the murder. More can be read here Amber stated she never liked this kind of music and that Jason was the one who listened to SlipKnot.

Amber claims she had no part in the murder and that her codefendant Harris, who has already been sentenced to 50 years acted solely alone. She claims her being interrogated for long hours, alone without a lawyer, or her parents present landed her in prison awaiting trial for nearly six years. She was coerced into signing away her rights for a speedy trial she states. The interrogating police lied, coerced, frightened, induced sleep depravation and hunger all to get a confession, whether it be true or not. The Doctors stated at one point to Amber's parents that "she was not capable of murder" and one detective told her parents "that he knew this was not her crime but that she will now have to convince a jury"

Amber's mother states that her and her husband were never allowed to see her, and were never given details about why their daughter was being detained and arrested for murder. They were told they should go home, despite the fact that Amber had asked for her parents throughout the interrogation. Both parents were detained in their own living room and not allowed to place or receive phone calls keeping them separated from Amber while she was interrogated for hours. According to page 5 of the police report the interrogating officer stated that at 6:08 PM Amber said "she felt like killing herself." He stated "she is a danger to herself and others, and is a gravely disabled minor," and thinking this he had her sign a Miranda waiver at 7:10 PM, just one hour later.

Amber's mother claims that after 8 hours of interrogation Amber was then admitted to Ward B at Arrowhead Medical center where she was then handcuffed to a chair in the hallway, and left there all night and denied the use of a phone to call her parents, according to her mother. She was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder and in shock. She was then placed in San Bernardino Juvenile hall without the knowledge of her parents. Her father searched for her and found her 3 days later. Amber's mother stated an intake worker told her and her husband "she entered juvenile hall in worse shape of any kid they have ever seen." Amber was given what her mother calls "dangerous psychotic drugs" that caused her to have nightmares and hallucinate.

Amber's parents have compiled a list of violations and injustices about their daughters case and she forwarded them to me. The list is lengthy and I have included links to further understand the violations. Amber's rights were clearly violated, and she should never have signed away her rights to a speedy trial. Her ignorance of the law, and manipulation by her interrogators have changed her life into a six year nightmare. Our hopes are that someone will read her story and help her in her fight for freedom.

According to Amber's mother, when Amber was first picked up by the police, and taken into custody she was never allowed her two completed phone calls, within an hour. (seeCalifornia Welfare & Institutions Code 627) . Her 14th Amendment Rights were violated when she was denied counsel during questioning. ( See Welfare & Institutions Code 30.23). Other issues include her mental condition was very important, since Amber had a history of depression and "separation anxiety" from her parents. A young scared girl was alone with adult male police detectives which infringed on her 5th, 6th, and 14th Amendments of the Constitution concerning due process. (See Wikipedia on The Constitution

When a Child is Too Young to Realize All Rights Are Being Violated
Amber's mother also states that failure of telling Amber that her father was at the place of interrogation was a direct violation of The Welfare & Institutions Code 30.11 . Other violations include she was deprived of rights and privileges and US Code 1414la was violated.

Amber's mother also claims that when Amber could not understand the Public Defender the Judge would not allow him to be replaced which was a violation of rule #1.14 in the rules of professional conduct, but one month later the Public Defender was asked to be taken off the case due to a conflict of interest that was never explained to them. She states that Amber was tried as an adult with no psychological witnesses, no juvenile hall witnesses, no defense witnesses, and no character witnesses. Amber was asked by the Public defender to sign papers she did not understand, and her parents never saw.

Minors are not allowed to sign legal contracts and documents, yet a young girls legal rights were taken away from her in a matter of hours. She is a loving and caring young woman who will always be scarred by the events that happened in her life. She has already served seven years for a crime she maintains she never committed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Amber was convicted May 2009 her Attorney never called one witness* She Is waiting to hear if she will be granted a new trial! She has Another conflict pannel Attorney~Thou the judge called for out side representation: The older male co~defendant pled guilty but the jury never got to hear that either*

THIS IS MY PRECIOUS LIFE THEIR TAKING

THIS IS MY PRECIOUS LIFE THEIR TAKING

This Is My precious Life They Are Taking
This is my precious life they are taking.
Don't they care I am not to blame?
The horrible things the police said to defame
They twisted everything, until didn't know,
I couldn't call my folks & I wanted to go home.
This is my precious life they have taken~
They even lied in court, the cops & the Da,
To make the case they didn't care, have they no shame?
It doesn't bother my co-defendant either,
he sits in court and laughs at me.
I am dyeing inside,please someone can't you see?
I did not do this, why would they lie?
My heart hurts so badly, most days I just want to die.~
Oh my friend why have you done this to me?
Please tell them the truth,your hurting so many can't you see?
Please God don not let them forget me here,
Locked up alone,away from home and full of fear.
Let your Angels watch over my case
Please Lord don't leave me in this dreadful place.
Please Lord I don't belong here.
They have gotten away with taking my precious life I fear*
By Amber Rose Riley:2005

Florida Youth Sentenced To Life In Prison

On April 14, 1995, a thin, bald man known only as "Rick" sat on Stella Whitehead's couch and instructed 15-year-old Jude Williams to rape and kill the 76-year-old woman inside her Cocoa home.



Rick had told Jude to do things before and even threatened to harm Jude's mother if he told anyone.

Now Jude is in the 16th year of a life sentence in prison, while Rick -- his own personal Mr. Hyde -- torments him as a personality fragment living in his mental illness.

Williams was diagnosed with a schizophrenic disorder in 1986 and spent eight months in a mental hospital. Several psychologists testified shortly after the murder that he also suffered from dissociative identity disorder and multiple personalities.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May that it was unconstitutional to sentence juveniles to life in prison for non-murderous crimes. While three Florida juveniles have been resentenced, the ruling offers no relief to someone like Williams, who was found guilty of the crime despite the medical testimony and his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Now as others throughout the state are lining up attorneys for re-sentencing purposes, Williams can only hope that some change in the law would allow him the help he needs. Williams recently wrote a letter to FLORIDA TODAY, insisting on his innocence and blaming the crime on his "best friend."

According to a report issued in 2000 by the U.S. Department of Justice, 45 states have passed or amended legislation since 1992 making it easier to prosecute juveniles as adults. The report states that the number of inmates under 18 confined in adult prisons more than doubled between 1990 and 2000.

"In a perfect world, we would have a way to offer treatment for juveniles, especially for those abused as young children and the mentally ill," said Chief Judge Preston Silvernail, who added that Williams' case was "heart-wrenching for all involved."

Williams, who turned 15 just 29 days before the murder, had little chance of becoming a productive member of society, according to transcripts, interviews and police records.


http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110102/NEWS01/101020315/1006/news01/Sentences+stick+for+young+killers