Seattle Human Rights Network

Juan Melendez, the 99th death row inmate to be released and exonerated, spoke last night at the Seattle University School of Law to a spellbound audience.

Mr. Melendez was convicted based on a police informant’s testimony, in spite of no physical evidence against him. Nearly two decades later, he was exonerated after a taped confession was found in his trial defense lawyer’s office, with corroborating documents, and proof that that prosecutor had access to evidence about the real killer before Mr. Melendez’s trial.

He recounted 18 years in Florida State Prison, where he watched many of his friends, fellow death row inmates, commit suicide, be executed, or die due to lack of medical attention.  He shared a message of the humanity, recounting how many of his fellow inmates helped him turn his life around by teaching him to read, write, and speak English.  He also spoke of the importance of faith and family in surviving his ordeal.

Mr. Melendez closed his speech by calling for the crowd to become active in the movement to abolish the death penalty.  Without the attention and action of all of us, he said, this change will never occur.

Also speaking at the event was Jeff Ellis, president of the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. who stated that Mr. Melendez’s case was one of many that illustrate that our country’s “experiment” with the death penalty has grave consequences.

Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Time: 6:00 - 7:20 p.m.
Location : Seattle University Law, Sullivan Hall, Room 109
Cost: FREE
Reception to follow 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

This event is co-sponsored by:
ACLU, Seattle University chapter
National Lawyers Guild, Seattle University chapter
Seattle University Public Interest Law Foundation

Seattle University Human Rights Network 

Only two hours before the State of Georgia was scheduled to execute Troy Anthony Davis, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay until the Court can decide whether to hear the case.  To date, no federal court has heard evidence in the case of Mr. Davis, who was convicted of murdering a police officer 19 years ago. 

There was no physical evidence linking Mr. Davis to the murder, and he was convicted based on the testimony of 9 witnesses.  7 of these witnesses have since recanted, claiming their statements implicating Mr. Davis were the result of police coercion. Several world leaders, including former-President Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have challenged the fairness of Mr. Davis’s conviction.

The Supreme Court will reconvene on Monday and decide whether to hear Mr. Davis’s case.  If the Court declines the case, the stay will terminate and the State of Georgia will proceed with the execution.  Lawyers for Mr. Davis have asked the Court to consider the issue of whether the 8th Amendment bars the execution of an innocent man.

The State of Georgia is scheduled to execute Troy Anthony Davis on September 23, despite strong evidence suggesting his innocence.  There is no physical evidence against Mr. Davis, no weapon has been found,  and the entire case against him was based on witness testimony.

Seven out of nine of the witnesses who testified against Mr. Davis have recanted their testimony, many stating that they were pressured or coerced to testify against Mr. Davis.  Multiple witnesses have said that one of the two witnesses who has not changed his testimony, Sylvester “Redd” Coles, has admitted to the killing.

To date, no federal court has reviewed the evidence against Mr. Davis.  The United States Supreme Court is scheduled to make a decision on whether to hear Mr. Davis’ appeal on September 29th: 6 days after he is executed. 

On September 12th, the Board of Clemency denied clemency for Mr. Davis, even after stating last year that they would “not allow an execution to proceed in this State unless and until its members are convinced that there is no doubt as to the guilt of the accused.”

Seattle University faculty member Rob Smith is in Georgia gathering evidence to support a stay of Mr. Davis’s execution.  More information will be posted about this case in the coming days, but your urgent action is needed to ensure that Georgia does not wrongly execute Mr. Davis.

Click here to contact the Board of Clemency and urge them to reconsider their decision.

Click here to learn more about the case of Troy Davis

Welcome this is the New Seattle Human Rights Network website and blog.

Here is a little about us:

The Seattle Human Rights Network is an independent student led organization that focuses on activism in the area of international human rights law.  The network promotes human rights activism and awareness by organizing or sponsoring forums, debates, films and inviting guest speakers.  The Seattle Human Rights Network also works actively to build the local human rights community through education and outreach.

Our current board consists of:

Amy Pritchard 3L
Brian Rowe 3L
Naomi Strand 2L
Christina Xenides 3L

We will be blogging at least one or two times a week about upcomming events and general human rights issues.