And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
I apologize if this is a repost..Ish
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 18:15:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: ME Shaiman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Eddie Hatcher
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Hi Ish,
I am sending you the following article again. If you have already posted it,
please ignore ( I first sent about 1 1/2 weeks ago). It didn't come back to
me so I was not sure if you could open it as an attachment.
Thanks,
Marsha
EDDIE HATCHER: Execution Date???
District Attorney Johnson Britt and the media of Robeson County, North
Carolina have already convicted Tuscarora Indian activist Eddie Hatcher and
called for his execution! Will you allow the white establishment to put
Eddie Hatcher to death?
ONLY YOU CAN STOP THIS...
On June 1, 1999, Indian activist Eddie Hatcher was surrounded at a busy
intersection by dozens of state and local agents and thrown to the pavement,
hand-cuffed and arrested. He was charged with First Degree Murder and other
weapons charges. Eddie was immediately taken to North Carolina's highest
security prison, Central Prison, and placed in maximum lockup next to death
row.
Eddie says, "I had forgotten how much this state, this government hates me.
They are moving beyond all speed in this case. They are trying me for my
life. They are trying to put me on death row. And something about this case
really scares me."
Robeson County District Attorney Johnson Britt says Eddie Hatcher should be
put to death. The state seeks the death penalty because of Eddie's past
convictions - the takeover of The Robesonian newspaper offices.
EDDIE HATCHER: Former Political Prisoner
Eddie Hatcher is known worldwide for his action of February 1, 1988 when he
occupied the offices of The Robesonian newspaper in Lumberton, North
Carolina, in a desperate attempt to focus attention on corruption in Robeson
County. Eddie demanded that the government investigate local and state
officials' involvement in major drug trafficking; investigations into more
than two dozen unsolved murders, mostly Natives and Blacks; investigations
into the local judicial system; and investigations into the death of a young
African American, who died under suspicious circumstances in the Robeson
County jail
The takeover ended peacefully. One of the hostages, Bob Horne, former editor
of The Robesonian, walked out of the building with Eddie. "Somebody called
in and said they were going to gun them down... I went out with them to make
sure that didn't happen. That wouldn't have been right," says Horne.
Eddie became the first person prosecuted by the Federal Government under
Ronald Reagan's 1984 Anti-Terrorist Act. Between his arrest and his trial,
seven witnesses scheduled to offer testimony to support Eddie's allegations
of government drug trafficking were murdered or died under suspicious
circumstances.
After a three week trial in federal court, where Eddie was ordered, by Judge
T. Boyle, to represent himself, the jury found Eddie not guilty on all
counts. They said he was justified in his actions. Six weeks later, in
December 1988, Eddie was re-indicted by the State of North Carolina for the
same charges he had been cleared of in federal court.
Eddie's attorneys, including William Kunstler, were removed from the
courtroom by Judge R. Farmer and again Eddie was forced to represent
himself.
On February 14, 1990, Eddie was sentenced to 18 years, with a projected
parole date of 1992. Still imprisoned in 1993, the National Council of
Churches declared Eddie Hatcher a political prisoner. They, along with
Amnesty International and many prominent people including Senators,
Congressmen, and movie stars, demanded Eddie's release from prison.
Eddie was forced to serve 7 years and was not released until May 1995, after
he was denied medical treatment by the prison for AIDS related pneumonia and
almost died. He was then held on house arrest and intensive parole for an
additional two years until 1997.
The documentary, "Takeover: The Trials of Eddie Hatcher," which was released
in 1998, details Eddie Hatcher's life and his long battle with a corrupt,
racist government. It has won countless awards across the country and has
been shown on PBS stations nationwide.
AFTER PAROLE
In 1998, after completing all paroles, Eddie returned to Robeson County and
again became very vocal in local politics, even contemplating running for
public office.
Now the District Attorney and the State of North Carolina say that Eddie
Hatcher drove down a dark country road, in a 5-speed truck, on a curve, and
shot through a house that sits more than 200 feet down a slope, and shot a
man right between the eyes with a high powered rifle. Eddie's right arm is
permanently disabled. He could have not done this. Yet, if the corrupt
courts of North Carolina continue as they have, Eddie will receive the death
penalty.
Now Eddie sits in maximum lockup in Central Prison. He has refused
government appointed attorneys and was ordered to represent himself by Judge
F. Floyd. Judge Floyd implied, in open court, that as long as Eddie had
writing paper and a pen, this was all he needed to defend himself on a
capital murder charge.
This is Robeson County. This is North Carolina... the Mississippi of the New
Millennium.
HOW YOU CAN HELP...
We need your help. We are in desperate need of emergency funds to operate
the small office, which is all volunteer. We need money for postage,
printing, and telephones.
We need you to write or call the prison system and let them know we are
watching the case of Eddie Hatcher. Write or fax:
Theodis Beck, Secretary
North Carolina Dept. of Correction
214 West Jones Street, 4201 MSC
Raleigh NC 27699-4201
Fax: (919) 733-4790
We need you to write the following news organizations and ask that they
closely monitor this case:
WRAL-TV 5
PO Box 12000
Raleigh NC 27606
Fax: (919) 821-8541
WTVD-TV 11
PO Box 2243
Fayetteville NC 28302
Fax: (910) 323-0120
Fayetteville-Observer
203 North Elm Street
Lumberton NC 28359
Fax: (910) 738-7742
Associated Press
Dennis Patterson
Suite 300
4020 West Chase Blvd.
Raleigh NC 27607
Fax: (919) 834-1078
We need you to contact these people and demand that Eddie receive a fair
trial:
Governor Jim Hunt
Office of the Governor
116 West Jones Street
Raleigh NC 27603
Fax: (919) 715-3175
Attorney General Michael Easley
2nd Floor Justice Building
2 East Morgan Street - PO Box 629
Raleigh NC 27602
Fax: (919) 716-6750
Senator Frank Ballance
Room 53, Legislative Office Building
Raleigh NC 27601
United States Senator John Edwards
825 Hart Building
Washington DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3154
You can write to Eddie at:
Eddie Hatcher
Central Prison
1300 Western Blvd.
Raleigh NC 27606
Eddie has been asking for reading material but the prison will only accept
books mailed directly from the publisher or a bookseller. If you can afford
it, please order a book from an independent on line book seller and have it
sent to Eddie at the prison.
For more information on how you can help, contact:
Eddie Hatcher Defense Committee
PO Box 2702
Pembroke NC 28372
Phone: (910) 521-8850
Tuscarora Tribe Fax: (910) 521-1996
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
A website is now under construction for Eddie at
http://www.prisonactivist.org
Thank you for your support.
