And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 19:00:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: ME Shaiman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Eddie Hatcher Update
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Dear Ish,
I am attaching the text version of the Eddie Hatcher brochure. It contains
more information than the article I sent you about 2 weeks ago. Please
circulate it.
In Resistance,
Marsha Shaiman, On Indian Land Newspaper/Support for Native Sovereignty
-----------------------------------------------
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 Thorne.
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. 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.
Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine
of international copyright law.
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Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE
http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
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